Back at the Ranch
I painted these cheerful little houses from my backyard. It was late in the day and I was struck by the way the sun shone between them. They are located on a deep canal that runs out to the Gulf of Mexico. It has always been a dream of mine to live in a little cottage by the sea and I am grateful every time I look out and see the water. I know I am lucky to be here.
I painted this en plein air on a hot muggy day. Fortunately there are usually nice winds blowing along this beach in St. Petersburg so that really helps with the comfort factor. I like the subtle lights in this scene.
Painted en plein air at Heritage Village. A woman sits weaving on the front porch of a narrow little house in the Florida woods.
This caboose sits on on an old track in the woods in Heritage Village. I painted it there. It reminds me of my grandpa who used to work for a railroad in the Midwest. It's also just the right color for a caboose."Old Caboose" Oil on Canvas, 8x10" $100.00
A trail in Florida woodlands.
There are many osprey nests here on the Gulf Coast. Some are built on top of tall electrical poles or towers along the roads. This one is on Honeymoon Island, a haven for birds and nature. It's one of my favorite places to paint. The ospreys here find dead trees with no blocking foliage around, to build their large nests. Sometimes an immature bald eagle (all brown)will fly up to check them out, and the ospreys shriek and chase him away.
I painted this on location (en plein air) at a ranch in west-central Florida.
I painted these colorful houses during the Concorso Rapido -- a one day paintout competition in Dunedin FL. I enjoyed the whole day of painting on the street and the event was well organized and a lot of fun. It was a warm spring day with a cooling breeze. And most exciting for me was that I won 2nd Prize for this painting!
An inlet to the Gulf of Mexico, painted in plein air.
A view of the house next door to my studio.
A white egret and a little blue heron watch for fish at the edge of a spring-fed pond. Painted on location at Wall Springs, FL.
Through a garden trellis, I could see the gazebo, surrounded by bamboo and other tropical foliage. I painted there for hours, accompanied only by the songs of the birds. I felt like I was in a mystical place. Actually it was a view of the Creighton Pavilion on the grounds of the Botanical Garden at USF in Tampa. 
The Emily docks across the canal from my house. A few months ago, she sank after a storm here, but she is now back up and about.
House in Woods, 8x10", Oil on Canvas, Painting continues around edges. $100.
Just before a turn on a path on Honeymoon Island, I set up my easel. It was very cold and windy this day and I was the only one from our plein air group who showed up to paint. I picked this spot because it was out of the wind and I liked the strong light on the side. Also there were many ospreys here and I could see and hear them well from this spot.
I painted this watercolor at Heritage Village. I've been told it has a "calligraphic" or "Asian" feel. The painting is 8x10 inches and in an ornate gold frame.