Carefree Cactus

18 x 24 inches - oil on canvas

When heading to the valley from the hills, I take Carefree Highway across from the 60 to 17. If you lived in Arizona you would know these roads. Carefree Hwy is about 30 miles long and is a wonderland of the Sonoran Desert with every shape and size saguaro and cholla cactus. I love this drive and usually have my camera in my lap - ready.

High Desert October

 18 x 24 inches - pastel

 For almost a year I've had the wonderful good fortune to live on a hill in Peeples Valley, Arizona. My dog Zig and I have hiked all over this hill, following donkey trails left by the six donkeys that lived here before we came. In October, walking south from the garden, I came upon this lovely small ravine that I had walked before. This time it was quite a different view with the cottonwood trees that grow beside Model Creek dressed in their bright yellow Fall colors, plus the many shades of blues and greens and the manzanitas adding a wonderful purple to the mix.

Clouds Over Prescott, AZ

14x11 inches - oil on canvas
It was 32 degrees, according to my car, as I reached Skyline Drive outside of Prescott to help some friends who were selling their long held retreat cabin with a view. There were small bits of snow on the ground and the clouds were putting on a spectacular show. Once again I enjoyed working with the paint using my pallet knife. Taking a photo of a pallet knife painting can be a bit tricky. How the sun hits the paint really changes the colors and the tiny shadows of the paint.

Yarnell Hill Saguaro

8x10 oil on canvas

Yarnell Hill Saguaro - 2

8x10 oil on canvas

Saguaro's are other-worldly. As you climb Yarnell Hill on Hwy 89, and you reach a certain elevation, if you look quickly you can spot a few tall saguaros. This one was accompanied by a lovely shadow falling on a large granite boulder and all the wonderful early Fall colors.

Hwy 89 Up Yarnell Hill

10x8 inch - oil on canvas

Morning Moon Too

5x7 inches - oil on panel

Unbeknownst to us, my friend and I both took photos of the morning moon. After she sent me hers, I remembered mine.

My painting of hers was posted a few days ago (see below) and here is my painting of mine.

Sunrise Surprise

14x11 inches - oil on canvas

Here is another pallet knife painting, which involves applying paint like Spackle, which equals fun.

After many days of clear sky mornings, I wandered out onto my East-facing porch before sunrise. The sky that surrounded me was breathtaking. I ran back in the house, grabbed my camera, and ran around like a mad woman looking for the best vantage point to take several panoramic series of shots. More paintings to come of it I'm sure.

Morning Moon - SOLD

5x7 inches - oil on panel

I visited my friend in California recently. When I walked in her front door, on the wall beside the front door hangs three of my "Slice of Life" series paintings: Pink Roses, Lettuce and Texas Longhorn.
I was immediately drawn in to their color, life and detail. "Wow," I said, "those are cool." She agreed.

Back to the pallet knife she goes. My friend in Chandler, AZ sent me a picture she shot with her iPhone, standing outside her place of work early one morning. There is something about using the knife like a pencil, or pastel - stroking the paint rather than brushing it - tiny details of movement. Fun.

Hill Country Vista - SOLD

10x8 oil on canvas

Texas Spring - SOLD

8x10 oil on canvas, framed
I'm trying out this new "floater frame" on my latest Texas landscape. It's nice in that you see all of the canvas. With a regular frame you loose about 1/4 inch all the way around. I painted all the way around the edge of the canvas because it is visible in this frame.

Perdido Creek - SOLD

20x16 oil on canvas
This painting went to live with folks in Florida last week. I started out painting it with a brush but at some point picked up a pallet knife and kept going. When Spring rolls around I'm heading out to capture more Texas country.