During the past two weeks I have not only been enjoying the holidays but working with my giclee printer to create three prints, on stretched canvas, in double the size of the original paintings.  I was dubious about retaining the quality of line and fluidity of the watercolor with increase of size and printing on canvas, however my concerns turned out to be unnecessary.  This is a project to be repeated! 


I stood next to them to show the size.  Currently they are being crated for shipment to a home in a Southern California beach town.

Yesterday I delivered Split Above and Below.  This is the triptych I have been working on for several weeks.  It was hung in a home located in Tahoe Donner, high on a ridge, with spectacular views to the south.  The painting is the focal point of the room, but how could it not be at 4' x 10' ????  The designers, from Spirit Gallery in Truckee, CA, selected a wonderfully warm color for the wall on which the painting hangs, a shade that brings out one of the hues I use in my rock paintings in small small amounts, a shade that complements the other hues in the painting.


This was an interesting project, because the customer saw and purchased the center painting and then realized it wouldn't be long enough for the space where they wanted to hang the work.  They then commissioned two additional canvases which would create a triptych.  The painting was returned to my studio so I could design the work as well as match paint colors and line work. 

 As you can see, I used photos of the original painting to assist with the drawing.  The intent was to retain the focal point and weight of composition in the center canvas while continuing the visual flow of rocks and water out to the right and left.  In order to accomplish this, I chose to paint fewer rocks and some lake bottom in the side panels.

The composition was selected and sketched onto the canvases.  They were moved on and off my easel many times, placed along side the center canvas to compare and adjust the paint colors and confirm the alignment of the rocks and light patterns from one canvas to the next. 

Then I 'live' with the painting, keeping it in my studio so I can confirm the lighlights, lowlights, and other details, making small corrections with my brushes and paint, guiding the work to completion.

Now it is time to enjoy family, bake cookies, decorate a Christmas tree, wrap gifts.  Happy Holidays to all of you!

My Holiday jewelry trunk shows have ended, so I have returned to painting, continuing work on a commission which adds two canvases to an existing painting, so the entire work will become a triptych.   This will be a very dramatic view of Lake Tahoe above and below the surface.  In fact, the title of the work is:  Split Rock, Above and Below.  Pictured here is the middle section of the triptych.  When completed the length of the entire work will be approximately ten feet.  The painting will be delivered this weekend to a home in Tahoe Donner which is being re-decorated by Cathy Nason of Spirit Gallery in Truckee.  


Right now my brushes are various shades of blue, my fingers are blue, and everything I touch is marked with blue.  

Busy busy time.  I am working with my jewelry daily, creating new statement necklaces with unusual pearls, jade, stone and porcelain from China.  Last week I had a Trunk Show at a private country club, The Quarry,  in the Southern California desert.  The men and women loved my work and purchased beautifully unique pearl and Asian inspired necklaces for Holiday gifts and for themselves.  It is very special when a woman brings her husband to look at a piece she adores and the husband immediately arranges the purchase.  It is also wonderful to watch the faces of the women who see a piece they cannot resist, try it on, and wear it home.  I love bringing happiness to others by creating something they can wear and adore.

The pearls pictured above are actually three separate necklaces stacked together.  Most of you know my motto:  More is not enough!!!!!!  Wear one, two, three or four together for drama and to be outrageous.