Suspended

One thing I enjoy about doing an abstract is capturing an emotion or feeling through colors and shapes. This piece reminds me of oil floating in water,or a satellite in space. As usual I didn't set out to portray that ambiance but was surprised by it in the process!
I like for a piece to extend far beyond its borders, so that what is unseen but can be guessed at becomes as intriguing as what can be seen. We may have our telescope focused on one star, but there is a whole universe out there!

The Bobo Children

This is an example of a group portrait. It was fun to play with the details, such as the two satin bows in the girl's hair,the nubby texture of the boy's sweater and the crisp starched button-down collar of his shirt.

Dance of the Broken Pieces

This mixed media piece came about through a bit of serendipity. Like much of my work,it started out with a general idea and then took on a life of its own. In this case the template tore. But instead of throwing it out, I continued to use it. And as it broke apart, things just became more and more interesting. As a result the piece ended up with something to say about "completeness" and how "brokenness" can be the greatest source of beauty. Sometimes what goes wrong is the best thing that can happen.

For Him

I visited a remote town in the foothills of the Nayar mountains in Mexico and this was the result of a brief stop at a zapataria. You never know where inspiration may strike!
I titled this personal expression drawing, "For Him" and then wrote the following:
"I was amazed as I watched the cobbler take the long slender strips of leather in his hands and skillfully weave them together. It was though his fingers were performing a beautifully choreographed dance, handed down from father to son. These sandals or "huaraches" as they are called, lead a long life of service, carrying their owners over cobblestones and across dusty fields. And over time, they even mold themselves to the shape of his feet.
I congratulated the artisan on his fine work. Did he have a size 9 and a half(My husband's size)? He did.
I think about the sandals that Jesus wore. For the cobbler it was probably only one more pair in a line of endless pairs that he had made in his lifetime. He was just doing his job, but maybe when he made the pair for Jesus his outlook changed. Maybe for the first time he saw his work as something noble, as something of service towards God and his fellow man. Perhaps he started taking more pride in what he was doing. Maybe he made an extra pair when it was inconvenient because someone had a special need. Perhaps he even stopped thinking about the bottom line and started to hand out pairs to the poor! It's possible that he began to hum and whistle as he worked. Who knows?
I do know that when we perform our ordinary everyday duties with him in mind, they become holy; set apart and life ceases to be mundane. That whatever we do driven by love for Him and others lasts for all eternity."

In Love

I made this drawing of my son and daughter-in-law at their request. They wanted to use it for invitations but because they had asked me too close to the date, used it for Thank-you cards instead. To get some ideas for the drawing, I took them out to our town's scenic river-walk and took a bunch of photos. Out of those, I chose one that I wanted to work with.
When I draw a portrait involving two or more people(or pets), what matters to me most is capturing the relationship. Even though I may be combining a number of different photographs, I want the finished result to convey a sense of the relationship between them; whether that be camaraderie, tenderness, ambivalence or love. "Ambivalence?", you ask. Yes that too. One of my favorite drawings was of a little boy who had been seated beside his baby sister. The expression on his face was priceless. He really was not all that pleased with their family's latest acquisition and it showed but in the most delightful and humorous way.