They’re over the moon with excitement in their new car!!!! Space oddities, because that’s who they are when in space.

24” X 30” Oil on panel

the title says it all!

9” X 12” oil on panel

I was asked to paint an egg for an egg challenge on an art site that a colleague has, so I came up with this idea with the monkey. I love the juxtaposition of the elements in this piece. The expensive bottle of champagne in contrast with the old, tattered monkey, and the recipes on either side- Devils food cake on the left and the drink Monkeys lunch on the right. the seashell and the forest pinecone, two opposites. then there’s the glasses, to help you read the recipes... all in all just a fun piece!

16”x 20” Oil on panel

I wanted to do a portrait and a western theme as well, so I came up with a wanted poster. I like the expressions that each character has, and I try to bring them out in each painting that I create.

Oil on Board, 18”x 24”

Brachiation is the movement from branch to branch that primates make, and when you're tired after that, you may want to seek some relief in a good bottle of Port!

Oil on board: 8”x 14”

With the changes in society and major disruptions in our lives this past couple of years, it has been hard for most people to adjust to their new way of living. We have all had to dust ourselves off and get back on the saddle!

Oil on board: 22”x26”

This is a whimsical painting of my puppets. They seem to have trouble with keeping their pants on, and over time the pants have been lost. I put an old Levi's Jean poster behind them as a tribute to the brand.

Oil on Board: 16”x 20”

This is an allegory painting. The lock symbolizes youth, and dice the symbolize the gambles we take in life. The Jellybeans represent the fun and colorful things we encounter throughout our years, while the bottles are the ingredients to make the classic jellybean shooter. The vices that we use can have profound effects on us and are depicted by the alcohol and cigarettes. The two puppets- sad clown is down and reaching for the empty bottle, while Howdy is holding a new found full bottle and is happy, ready to keep going; depict the moods that one can experience in a state of intoxication. The little duck is a bit of Canadian humor, it symbolizes the baby duck wine that is cheap that most Canadians are familiar with and have had!! They are in a stage setting:

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances…

oil on board: 16” x 20”

This painting represents the conflict we all have about ourselves.  The bright clothing that the jovial clown wears on the outside conflicts with the vices that are all around him in an attempt to find happiness on the inside. He is placed lower on the board to signify his diminished state, his head is cracked on the right side of his face depicting his brokenness, and a tear dripping from his face signifies that he is having no luck in his pursuit of finding happiness.

 12"x12"  Oil on Board

this is a work in progress. I am just tweaking it and should be finished soon, Ill post more about it when i’m finished- hopefully soon!!

When I saw this little character, I felt that I just had to paint him standing on a cheeseburger. When I began to paint him, I was listening to a song called ‘Texas’, by Natalie Merchant, and the words seemed to fit with the painting that I was creating. The song is about greed, and his face reflects that along with him holding a piggy bank. The lyrics talk about the “savings and loan they bleed”, along with “pumpin’ and a suckin’ till the well is dry”, hence the pumpjacks behind the burger to the left. The star symbolizes the star of Texas, as well as the longhorn, and it is pure fantasy when pigs fly.

9”X 14” Oil on panel

~ Private Collection ~

An homage to Bob Ross, who gave people an interest in painting through his TV program “the joy of painting” in the 80’s and 90’s. The painting depicts a few of his sayings, his fan brush, palette knife and of course his squirrel “peanut’, who was in a few episodes.

Oil on Board: 8”X 10”

When I saw this little statue of a Barber, I immediately thought of Bugs Bunny, and I wanted to create a painting. This is my homage to Bugs Bunny and the episode “The Barber of Saville”

Oil on Board: 6”x 8”

This is a Vanitas painting, in honor of the still life genre that was full of symbols and made famous by the 17th century Dutch masters.

The skull represents human frailty, that we are here only momentarily in the earth’s timeframe. The butterfly and the bee in the scroll signify hope in the afterlife and the feather means flight of the spirit. The scroll symbolizes the person's good deeds in the hopes his life does not go unnoticed.  The ink, inkwell and pen are tools of the persons trade, and the books allude to knowledge. The key is a sign of material things and the marbles bring the timeline of the painting into modern times, as cats eye marbles only started to be manufactured in the 1940's

In 2013 I started this painting to be a demo for an upcoming class i was going to teach. I became so fascinated with looking up some elements and their meanings to put into the piece, I ended up refining it to a finish. This painting started my fascination with the Still Life and Fantasy genres.

 8"X10" Oil on Board

~ Private Collection ~

This was painted from life, the absent color played nicely with the color burst from the mini pumpkin.

Oil on Aluminum: 12”x 12”

~ Private Collection ~

I had the opportunity to paint a bat, so I chose a baseball narrative to go with it. Along with the ball and glove, i added two rain check tickets that were for a game in 1979. There are two flies on the wood of the bottom counter which allude to the sayings “fly ball” and “fly on the wall”. Growing up in the 70s, I remember gum under tables, so I added the gum under the counter as my homage to the 70s.

Oil on Board: 15”x 19”

This little piggy was given to me shortly before a relative of mine passed away, so it is very sentimental to me.  I really wanted to paint him and because he is pewter, I thought he could replace the typical jacks we associate so much with marbles, and just be surrounded by the marbles.

5"X7" Oil on board

~ Private Collection ~

The old beat-up car with peeling paint and missing tires along with the beautiful marbles -  I found the juxtaposition to be interesting to paint.

5"x7" Oil on Board

~ Private Collection ~

This is a Vanitas piece which is very personal to me, representing my little cat buddy Maddie; my Brave girl that was killed while we were down in Mexico. The typewriter I found when I was down there during one of my trips, so it represents Mexico where Maddie died. The hammer represents the suddenness of her death, and the candle smoke gives meaning to the spirit of a life rising. Her three stuffed friends are all crying, two of whom are wrapped in her collar and leash. Her tie is on the other side of the typewriter. The bee means bravery, as I always called her my Brave girl because she came from a hoarding situation and had a few issues such as very bad eyesight that we had to deal with. The marble is representative of the world, as she was my world. Every life is precious, and those who we bond with are extra special, including our fur family.

9” X 12” Oil on Aluminum

~ Collection of the Artist ~

This is a painting that was comissioned. These two clowns were brought back from Murano Italy, where they were made. The postcard depicts Venice, the area where Murano and its glass are from.

12” x 20”, Oil on panel

~ Private Collection ~

9"X12"  oil on Board

 ~ Private Collection ~

This is one of those paintings that i messed up and I’m still dealing with. Whether or not I finish it will be a mystery for some time, as I started it in 2021, and ive put it on the back burner for quite some time. (I have a few there!!) I like the concept, just not the piece as a whole yet, but hey; they all don’t go as planned!!

9” X 12” Oil on Board

After this young lady modelled for me, it took about a year before I came up with the idea for the painting. Initially I wanted the painting to be vertical, but nothing seemed to work. When i finally decided to try the concept in a horizontal fashion, the idea evolved rather quickly.

A little Birdie Told Me

18”X 24” Oil on Panel

~ Private Collection ~

This lady wears turquoise that is mined in the southwest U.S..  She also wears cowry shells which signify trade - these shells were once used as currency around the time during the African slave trade. Although there is great debate on just how they got so far inland in the U.S., the Native American tribes admired them immensely and used them as decoration for their finest wear.

22"X30"   Oil on Canvas

~ Private Collection ~

GicleesAvailable

I met this lady while travelling in Italy. She was a bit destitute and disheveled looking, but she had the kindest looking eyes; a softness in them that spoke volumes about her gentle nature.

16"X20"  Oil on Board

This is a scene that I observed on a trip to Italy. The old plaster wall seems to have a map of Italy on it, while the writings on the wall tell the viewer where these people are.  The rich texture of the marble and the peeling paint from the old door are typical things that you see in and around Italy. The painting also signifies the rich cultural heritage that these young musicians are part of.  

36"X48"  Oil on Canvas

~ Private Collection ~

~Giclees Available~

18"X24"  Oil on Linen

~ Private Collection ~

Giclees Available

11"X14"  Oil on board

~ Private Collection ~

While in Mexico, I came across this little girl playing on some church steps. She had Downs syndrome and didn’t speak any English, but when she saw me, she came over and greeted me with the biggest smile! A smile transcends the barriers of oral language and disabilities; and in a world with so much strife and uncertainty, a smile if even for a moment connects us as humans.

Oil on Board: 20”x 32”

24"X36"   Oil on Linen

This is a re-enactor in Nevada who was part of an old western themed street.  He had a very unique look that was so intriguing that I felt he needed to be painted

.11'X14"  Oil on Board

~Private collection~

24"X36"  Oil on Board

Oil on birch 36" x 24"

11"X14"  Oil on Board

20"X24"  Oil on Linen

~ Private Collection ~

Giclees Available

Portrait of Chris

oil on Board; 11”x 14”

11X14” Oil on Panel

~ Private Collection ~

11"X14"  Oil on Linen

~ Private Collection ~

I met this lady while walking the streets in Rome, Italy one evening.  She was sitting on a step with a suitcase by her side and I asked if I could take her picture, to which she agreed. The way the light fell over half of her face and her glance away from me was a moment I found to be intriguing - a proud lady who has had a hard life.

11"X14"  Oil on Aluminum

~ Private Collection ~

Portrait of Bruce

oil on board; 11”x 14”

~ Private Collection ~

oil on canvas; 16”x 20”

~ Private Collection ~

During the Calgary Stampede , this little girl would not put a hat until Bruce did, then it was okay, and then blowing the whistle was a blast!!

oil on board; 16”X 12”

11" X14"  Oil on board

 ~Private Collection~

11"X14"  Oil on Linen

 Collection of the Artist

This is a painted study of a photo of a Mexican boy I took on one of my trips to Mexico. 

11"X14'  Oil on Board

collection of the Artist

I didn’t get a chance to get a photo of this once completed.

36”X 36” Oil on Canvas

~ Private Collection~

this is a charcoal drawing I did recently of Jimmy Herman, a Canadian actor and speaker. I took this picture of him in 1995, shortly after I first met him. Jimmy often spoke to young aboriginal youth to help give them guidance and to help establish a good path for them for their future. Jimmy starred in movies such as Dances with Wolves and TV shows like North of 60, which ran for 6 seasons and dawned a few movies out of it here in Canada.

Jimmy passed away over 10 years ago, and when i recently found my photos of him, I wanted to revisit him through my art. He posed for me wearing his buckskin jacket which dawn the beaded floral pattern which symbolizes his Cree and Dene heritage.

18” X 18”’ Charcoal and white pastel on light blue canson paper.

Collection of the Artist

While attending a powwow last summer, I took a picture of this little guy in full regalia getting ready to go out on the dance floor.

9”x 12” Charcoal and white pastel on blue paper

~ Private Collection~

Commission

9” X12” Charcoal and white pastel on blue paper

~ Private Collection ~

12"X12"  Charcoal and pastel on paper

Once a mighty great empire, Lisbon was decimated by the earthquake of 1755, with it came a great fire and then a tsunami. Within hours Lisbon was all but lost, never to regain the empire status it once had. The people of Portugal are very hard working and determined. I saw this gentleman in passing while seeing the Belum Tower in Lisbon.

~ Private Collection ~

charcoal and white pastel on paper; 17”x 23”

Charcoal drawing I did after returning from a trip to Pennsylvania.

Charcoal and white pastel on paper: 18”x 24”

Detail

Charcoal and white pastel on paper: 22”x 24”

~ Private Collection~

While in Portugal I came across this troop of girl guides selling calendars. I loved her hair, and wanted to draw it!!

Charcoal and pastel on paper: 11”x 16”

These were two from a troop of girls out selling calendars in Lisbon, Portugal.

Charcoal, pencil and white pastel on paper: 18”x 24”

charcoal and white pastel on blue paper

image size: 15” X 24”

~ Private Collection ~

a drawing that was done in honor of a fallen horse.

~ Private Collection ~

charcoal and white pastel on paper; life size

charcoal and white pastel on paper; life size

~ Private Collection ~

Guermo with his sketch

a sketch for a possible painting.

charcoal, white pastel and gold leaf on blue paper

18”x 24”

14"X 16" charcoal and pastel on paper

Trois chalk drawing.  Sanguine, white pastel and charcoal on green paper. I loved portraying the texture of the knit sweater.

~Private Collection~

12"X18"  charcoal and pastel on paper

~Private Collection~

sketch of a Jamaican man I met in Mexico.

pencil on paper, life size

charcoal and white pastel on paper; 12”x 23”

drawn from 2 sessions, about 6 hours.

charcoal and white pastel on paper; 16”x 24”

charcoal and white pastel on paper; sketching from life.

Finished Sketch, 6 hours.

Drawn from life while studying in France at Studio Escalier, in the summer of 2017

charcoal and white pastel on paper; 18”x 24”

Collection of the Artist

figure study; drawn from my time at Studio Escalier, France

pencil on paper, 18” x 20”

Collection of the Artist

14"X18"   Charcoal and pastel on paper

Sketch while Ron was gracious to pose for me.

Collection of the Artist

sketch from life

Sketch from life.

~ Private Collection ~

Castle Mountain, is located in Banff National park, Alberta Canada. It is named Castle Mountain for its obvious castle like appearance. There is a trust fault that separates it from the other peaks of the main range of mountains, the Sawback range to the northeast, and the Front ranges to the west. The massif, or range, has several high peaks; Helena Ridge (2,850 m , 9,744ft), Stuart Knob (2,970 m, 9,350 ft), and Televisin Peak (2,970 m, 9,744ft). It is a stunning mountain to view, with its cliff faces that rise above the treeline.

Oil on canvas, 32” X 48”

~ Private Collection ~

this is a small commission that I did. The client wanted a mountain scene set in the fall with an old barn tucked in the trees. This is the scene I came up with using a picture of a mountain that I took near Canmore, Alberta.

Oil on Panel, 12”X 22”

~ Private Collection ~

The horses of Central Park have been there since the park's inception in 1857. There is a lot of controversy over whether they should stay or not; there is a motion being tabled to get them out sometime in 2016. Some say it is unfair to the animals, but it is up to us as people to look at how we are treating them, not the horses themselves. There is also the underlying reason of real estate; the stables in which the horses stay are worth a lot of money. It is up to the people of New York to decide; I hope for the betterment of the horses, and I hope to have to rename this painting.

48"X72"   Oil on Board

~Private Collection~

Giclees Available

Located on the west side of Grand Canyon on the Hualapai Reservation, the Skywalk was built right beside Eagle Point and is very controversial. Some people think the Skywalk is tacky, overly commercial, and an insult to the canyon’s natural beauty. It was funded mostly by Las Vegas businessmen, who will get most of the profits for the first several years to recoup upfront costs, although the Hualapai own the structure. Some people claim that outside interests are exploiting the Hualapai tribe.  They question how the Hualapai, with their belief that the canyon is sacred ground, can exploit nature in this way.  The tribe needs income to help lift them out of poverty so the decision was made to get tourist dollars from the attraction of a Skywalk.  Whatever your views, it has brought more attention to the beauty of Grand Canyon by allowing more people to see its treasures such as Eagle Point.

36" X 72" Oil on Canvas

Bighorn Canyon National Park straddles the border of Montana and Wyoming with the Pryor mountains encompassing the park. A herd of wild horses still runs free and are very special because of their Colonial Spanish American heritage. These horses, derived from the horses of Portugal and Spain, have been present in this rugged mountain area for over 200 years. If lost, the herd cannot be restored; and so it's biological viability, together with it's history, must be preserved.  It is a spectacular place with the Devils Canyon Overlook dropping 1000 feet into the Bighorn river below.

36” X 48” Oil on Canvas

This double rainbow was seen just outside of Byron Wyoming.  Nature's natural color spectrum always elicits the same pattern (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) when light is refracted, commonly known from the Roy G. Biv mnemonic. While a primary rainbow is visible when light is reflected once off the back of a raindrop, a secondary and usually dimmer rainbow is spotted when light is reflected twice in a more complicated pattern. The colors of the second rainbow are inverted, with blue on the outside and red moved to the inside. The second bow appears dimmer or cloudier because much more light is released from two reflections, and both bows cover a larger portion of the sky. To the left is the Bighorn mountain range, the Pryor mountains.

 36"X72"    Oil on Canvas

The north side of the Grand Canyon is only open 6 months of the year. With an average elevation of 8,000 feet, the North Rim offers views of the canyon from a higher vantage, in an environment and sub-alpine climate of blue spruce, Douglas fir, mountain ash, colourful lupines and grassland meadows. It remains much cooler than the south rim, and the north rim averages 50 to 100 inches of snow each year.

36” X 48” Oil on Canvas

i watched this fisherman casting his net in Manzinillo, Mexico. There were pelicans were fishing as well, a really interesting scene!

oil on canvas; 20”x 30”

~ Private Collection ~

48"X60"   Oil on Canvas

36"X48"  Oil on Canvas

a fun piece that was commissioned.

oil on board; 18”x 48”

Oil painting

Charcoal and white pastel on blue paper

work in progress