The Four Seasons
“The Four Seasons” was created as a commission for a family living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cedar Rapids is known as “The City of the Five Seasons” which is symbolized by a sculptural tree prominently displayed downtown along the river. The painting celebrates the changing seasons with a nod to the Tree of Five Seasons and the surrounding rural landscape. The illustrative landscape represents nurturing the growth of family amid the beauty of America’s heartland.
30 in. high x 60 in. wide, oil on canvas, 2007, private collection.
A Day on the Lake (obverse & sides)
“A Day on the Lake” collectively represents fishing trips that my husband and I take to Alum Creek State Park in Central Ohio. Each facet of the painting represents a time of day; lines in the water at early morning, our catch in the live well, the beauty of sunset on the lake, and docking at days end. The reverse of the painting encompasses a collection of ephemera collected over our years of fishing together, including: fishing lures, photos of family and friends who have been our guests, money won for catching the first, biggest, and most fish, and a water sample from Alum Creek.
16 in. high x 20 in. wide x 2 in. deep, oil on canvas and found objects, 2020, $3,920.
A Day on the Lake (reverse & sides)
“A Day on the Lake” collectively represents fishing trips that my husband and I take to Alum Creek State Park in Central Ohio. Each facet of the painting represents a time of day; lines in the water at early morning, our catch in the live well, the beauty of sunset on the lake, and docking at days end. The reverse of the painting encompasses a collection of ephemera collected over our years of fishing together, including: fishing lures, photos of family and friends who have been our guests, money won for catching the first, biggest, and most fish, and a water sample from Alum Creek.
16 in high x 20 in. wide x 2 in. deep, oil on canvas and found objects, 2020, $3,920.
Mother’s Roses No. 1 (obverse & sides)
As kids, my parents would drive my sisters and me to Youngstown, Ohio to visit my grandparents. We would pass by a store along the highway that sold yard ornaments – everything from plywood kissing cousins to life-sized giraffes and polar bears. We always wanted to stop to look at the fiberglass menagerie but never did. Until one day my Mom decided she wanted a set of pink flamingos. They were plastic blow mold with metal sticks for legs and we put them in our front yard because my Mom thought it was a funny joke. My Mom was a second grade school teacher, and one summer her teacher friends kidnapped the flamingos and sent fun little ransom notes with clues about their whereabouts. They were safely returned at the start of the school year. From then on, people would buy my mother all sorts of flamingo themed items: glassware, tea towels, salt and pepper shakers. My Mom liked flamingos so she didn’t mind the parade of pink gifts. When she passed away, our family began sponsoring a bed of flowers at the Whetstone Park of Roses near our home. My father insisted we name the “Flamingo Kolorscape” roses in my mother’s honor.
6 in. high x 6 in. wide x 2 in. deep, oil on cradled panel with music box in reverse, 2020, $600
The Passing Storm
I was attending an artists’ retreat at Linwood Park in Vermilion, Ohio at Lake Erie when a storm swept through the area. A torrent of rain poured from the sky, the wind shook the house, the power went out, and everything became calm again. While the sun was setting and everyone was outside assessing the damage, I ran down to the beach to watch the passing storm. I took a series of live photos with my phone as the storm made its way to Loraine. When I returned home I created this painting in my studio, studying each frame of the live photo to capture the feeling of flickering lightning in the distant sky. It’s a dramatic depiction of a feeling of safety after a storm.
12 in. high x 24 in. wide, oil on canvas, 2019, $1440.
Three Trees
“Three Trees” captures the dappled light streaming through the trees at Scioto Grove Metro Park in Grove City, Ohio.
5 in. high x 7 in. wide, oil on canvas panel, 2021, $175.
Portrait of Naomi
I joined a group of artists who enjoy painting portraits and we arranged to have models sit for us over the period of two hours. Two hours is not a lot of time to complete a portrait but I came became more adept at constructing a painting within a short time frame with practice. When Naomi sat for us I wanted to use as much color as I could. I focused on the shapes of the planes of her face and searched for colors that might not be readily recognizable. The result is a dynamic painting of a beautiful woman.
10 in. high x 8 in. wide, oil on canvas panel, 2021, $175.
At the Barre
From the age of three I took ballet lessons. I loved ballet and told everyone that I was a ballerina. I would pose in family photos in one of the five ballet positions. I would curtsy and bow whenever I felt it appropriate. I had rehearsals twice a week. Barre warm-ups were always a part of each lesson and I enjoyed learning the French words for the movements we made with our bodies. I made many friends and proudly danced in recitals on the stage of the Ohio Theater looking out into the darkness at my adoring audience. At the age of twelve I was given a choice. I could continue with ballet lessons or art classes, but not both because of schedule conflicts. My ballet career abruptly came to an end.
I created this piece depicting young dancers learning the five positions. I still love the ballet and I still have very good posture.
18 in wide x 8 in. high x 6 in. deep, bronze and brass on poplar, $800.
A History of Architecture
My husband completed his graduate studies through a distance program at Boston Architectural College. it was one of the earliest iterations of distance learning and required the he travel to Boston for one-week workshops, twice a year. I would tag along as a tourist and while he was on class, I would visit the sites of the city and surrounding towns. We made a number of friends from across the country through the program and when his class graduated in 2010 I made each student a small bronze sculpture of the tower of the Old South Meeting House. I chose the landmark because of what it represents: a place where the community comes together to exchange ideas. For my husband I created a complete in-the-round sculpture of the building. Around the base I sculpted scenes featuring the notable architecture of the region that encompasses the history of American architecture.
8 in. high x 4 in. wide x 6 in. deep, bronze on cherry, 2010, private collection.
Portrait of the Artist’s Father
Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, my father attended Georgetown University followed by Capital University Law School. He and my mother married and moved to Columbus, Ohio where he began his legal career and they started a family. Growing up with a lawyer in the house was interesting. My sisters and I became experts in television drama legal proceedings. We learned how to tie a half-windsor. I carried a copy of the Constitution in my bookbag. As I grew older I saw how my father would help ordinary people through challenges that they could not solve alone and how he made a positive difference in the lives of his clients and our family friends. We always joked that my Dad wore a tie and wing tips to do everything – even when mowing the lawn. I created “Portrait of the Artist’s Father” as an exercise in portrait sculpture to honor someone close to me. I made certain to include his tie.
12 in. high x 8 in. wide x 6 in. deep, bronze, 2016, private collection.
10/11/2021