I have received Signature Member status in the National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society. My road to signature member status started in the spring of 2020. I saw an open international online competition with NOAPS. Since I didn't have to be a member I thought why not enter. I wasn't paying attention to the date when one hears if her piece is accepted and was surprised when I received an email congratulating me from an artist who I did not know. That was quite nice of him and so obviously I got in. Wondering who I knew who was accepted I had to wait a few hours until I could check out t ..read more

  Northern Gannets Nesting 18" X 14" Original Oil         This painting is a testament to the inventiveness of the creatures who share our world. I feel fortunate that I was able to witness the incorporation of fisherman ropes in to the nesting materials of this arctic bird.        ..read more

  Little did I know how difficult nest building would be. Granted, I didn't have to pick out the sticks, ropes, and small buoys and fly in with the material, but it is a challenge to paint them.    Northern Gannets are pretty amazing birds. While their wingspan of over 70 inches is impressive, it is their diving ability which I find remarkable. With waterproof feathers and various anatomical adaptations they can dive as deep as 72 feet! Most dives are much shallower, but 72 feet - wow!       ..read more

    To me, rocks are not just amorphous blobs, they have form and substance. (My Master of Science degree in geology comes in handy.) Some portions of the rocks in my painting were not in my reference photos which focused on the northern gannets. But, I could extrapolate what the next section would look like and move the rocks around to complement the painting design without destroying their integrity.     One of the aspects which fascinated me about this colony I didn't see until the boat was a bit closer. And even then, we were far enough away (so not to disturb the bird ..read more

  On my recent trip to Norway I had a chance to take a boat ride to the island nesting areas off North Cape, Norway. Gjesvaerstappan is home to an impressive number of bird species. This very northern tip of Norway where the warm and cold ocean currents of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans meet is a haven for birds looking to feed their young abundant fish. Puffins, razorbills, cormorants, black guillemots, and one of my favorites, the majestic Northern Gannet, nest and feed here.    A rather dramatic gannet nesting colony was perched on some impressive metamorphic rocks which I th ..read more

  Color Me 13" X 18" Original Oil             ..read more

    Why is this sea wall in Isafjordur, Iceland painted yellow with stripes of blue and faded red? Well, I have no idea. Yellow is considered a cheery color in northern climes but then you would use it for exterior house colors, a front door, or inside a kitchen. Yellow is the color of warning. Could this color be bright so docking fishing boats could see it no matter the weather conditions?   Whatever the reason, the sea wall colors gives me a reason to play with some vibrant colors.        ..read more

  Part of the appeal of this scene for me were the heavy chains. I imagine they aided in securing large fishing boats for this small community.  The chains take what could have been a pretty stroll through primary colors and make it real. In essence, they anchor the painting ..read more

 After two paintings which I can't show just yet because of show rules, I am starting a new piece which I can show you in progress. Once again I am playing with bold colors. Most wildlife paintings I paint don't employ bold primary colors. When I do use them they are for a tad or a splash here or there or to mix with other colors. Isafjordur is a charming town on the northwest coast of Iceland. Brightly colored houses abound in this historic fishing village. There is also a brightly colored sea wall.    Terns were doing their own fishing and landing on the wall. That inspired ..read more

As I mentioned in my previous post, I can't reveal the painting I am working on right now. So, I thought you might like to see some of the wonderful Icelandic horses on my most recent trip to Iceland. One aspect which added a bit of romance to them is that they were in remote areas with few, if any, buildings in sight.     Love the mane on the left horse ..read more