My most recent commissioned piece is shown in this slideshow from beginning to finished product!

As we enter a new year, I continue to receive request for commissions. I am very fortunate to be able to provide clients with works of art that fit their space as well as speak to their soul! The requests only ask that I work within their size requirement, but they don’t ask for many other specifics. Sometimes someone will say that they just don’t like a particular color.  But, for the most part they just ask that I make a painting like I normally do. I love that there is the trust that I will create something that they love!

“Mosaic” 60X60

I am very honored to be featured in the summer edition of Dallas Hotel Magazine!  If you are not staying in one of Dallas’ fine hotels this summer you can read the whole article on page 17 online at http://www.dallashotelmagazine.com

Summer Issue of Dallas Hotel Magazine

MALIBU MORNING

With summer here in Dallas, I am happy to be in my studio painting in air conditioning! I’m very productive in the summer! Lately I have been only doing commissioned work.  But it is nice to have the work! When I have time, I throw in a piece of my own desire and design.  Most of my commissioned work is my own vision, but with particular sizes and colors to work in my clients space.  Blue has been a predominant theme lately, as many clients are requesting paintings in ocean colors.  Also, stripes have been requested a lot.  I appreciate any guidelines I am given because I want happy customers!  When someone asks me to do a painting for them they always say “I love your work, so do your thing!” Then they request a certain size, orientation and color(s).   It is nice to have people trust me with the composition.  I haven’t disappointed yet!  Browse my site, follow me on Facebook and see if anything inspires you.  I am always open to requests!

With the arrival of 2014, I found myself in a tough spot. I was not able to work in my studio for the first two and a half months!  My mother had fallen at Christmas and broke her ankle. After surgery, rehab hospital and more rehab at home I am happy to say that she is now at home alone and doing very well! The two and a half months were hard on both of us, but we survived! I have never appreciated my studio more than I do now! Being able to get in here and paint with no distractions or outside obligations is such a blessing! I will never take this privilege for granted again. I am catching up on commissioned work and even starting some new creations of my very own.  I am so thankful everyday for being able to follow my passion!

Hanging these 20X20 color blocks in my gallery space!

“Orange Square”

Beginning late September and running through the month of October 2013, I will have a solo exhibit at The Hastens Store in Dallas! This is a Swedish store that sells high quality hand-made beds. They have huge dark blue walls that will show my work nicely! The owners are all from Sweden and are so great to work with.  When I visited with them to show them my work, they immediately wanted me to be their October artist.  Of course, that means that I will not have a new collection to show. But, I have some older pieces that have not been shown anywhere for a long time. I think they will look really fresh in this space.  And, my more recent pieces will be on display too. I am currently working on four commissioned pieces that have a deadline of early October. So, this prevents me from devoting much time to a new collection.

Last week, one of my newer pieces, “Orange Square” 42X42, acrylic on canvas panel, sold at the Goss-Michael Gallery in Dallas.  It sold during an auction benefiting The Family Place.  I donated 50% of the sale to The Family Place.  It was very exciting for me to be showing my work, if ever so briefly, in the Goss-Michael Gallery!

With each sale, I continue to donate at least 10% of the sale to charity.  This began with the West, Texas explosion.  I donated 10% of the sale of a painting to The Fallen Firefighters Foundation.  After that, I just decided to keep donating!  It’s the right thing to do!

During the month of August, the McKinney Avenue Contemporary on McKinney Street in Dallas will be showing it’s annual membership show. This year’s theme is Delta.  This can have to do with math, science, geography, astronomy or even someone’s name.  You get it.  Anyway, I entered a piece this year!   It is called “Yellow #3.”  If you get a chance, get by there and see the show.  It is very interesting to see how the theme has been interpreted by the many talented artists who are members of the MAC!

When I sell a painting to a client, one of the things included in the sale is installation.  That means that I will bring the painting to the client and hang it or have some professional installers do the job. So, if you buy a painting from me, it will be hung professionally.  And, if at any time you would like a list of professional art installers, please contact me and I will be happy to give you a short list.   But, sometimes clients want to move art around, or they have purchased a piece on a trip or at an art fair and just need to do it themselves.  So, Xanadu Gallery, out of Arizona, sent their exhibiting artists a handy download to share.  It was way too big to download onto my site, so I recommend that you just click on the red Xanadu Gallery Icon on the right just under the City Art Cal badge.  You will find “How to Hang a Painting” on the blog section of their site.  Happy hanging!

On April 1, 2013, I will be installing several new pieces of art at Stephanie Kantis in Highland Park Village, Dallas.  I say several because I don’t know right now how many pieces I will be able to finish by then!  I have had a few personal set backs including most recently the death of my father.  I may not have as many pieces of new work as I would like, but I will have new work! I found new inspiration from an unlikely source: my father’s funeral!  The minister, who knew my father well, said that my dad loved life and that he found joy in every day by simply being alive.   Since I had been stressing about getting ready for this art show and not being sure if I could produce enough work in the time I had, this moved me in a profound way!  I then decided to dedicate each painting I am working on to my dad and to find joy in every bit of the painting process.  I still have to occasionally remind myself not to stress, but  mostly I am free now to paint with renewed energy and a positive attitude. I believe this will be reflected in my work.  Please come see for yourself beginning  April 1st!