DRIFTING IN THE WATER COLUMN

Tropical Sunrise, 6 x 8 oil

Swimming round a ridge of coral I come upon a large school of fish.  Black Durgeon are a common sight feeding in midwater above the reef, but here are more than fifty, along with Raccoon Butterflyfish and Threadfin Butterflyfish.  As I pause, drifting back and forth with the surge along with the whole column, I find that they allow me to come quite close.  I see color and patterns I have never noticed before.  The raccoons become backlit jewels, with glowing golden tails and a delicate margin of maroon along the tail and fins.  The Black Durgeon have brown tracery around the eyes and face.  Somehow my attention shifts focus, and I see what they are eating: Tiny creatures with two white wings, held together by something invisible and gelatinous.

EELS

Sunrise Seaside Cabin, 6 x 8 oil

It's the first morning of my month-long stay in Hawaii.  An eel swims below m, ribboning in and out of coral heads like a wind-rippled banner.  He goes through tiny holes, making me wonder how he keeps from scratching himself on the hard coral structures.  Under a shelf he goes, coming out in a totally unexpected place.  In one hole, he folds back on himself, head emerging next to the tail as if he took no space at all.  What else is hiding in the coral, not to be seen unless it chooses to emerge into the undulating daylight?

MOUNTAINS ACROSS THE MEADOW

Mountains Across the Meadow, 6 x 8 oil

OREGON RECIPE

Oregon Recipe, 20 x 60 oil

This is a commissioned painting, based on a smaller painting I did en plein air.  I fell in love with this 1 to 3 format, and plan to use a lot more of this proportion.  Oregon Recipe: Douglas Fir, blackberries, cottonwood, Willamette River, Mt. Hood, stir with a generous helping of clouds, and enjoy!

CLEMATIS AND FORGET-ME-NOTS

Clematis and Forget-me-nots, 12 x 12 oil

A still life I set up for my students with spring flowers.  I chose small blossoms so no one would be tempted to paint every little flower.

SUNSET IN ORANGES

Sunset in Oranges, 12 x 16 oil

I'm sitting in my car, trying to stay out of the wind.  It has the added benefit of keeping my canvas in shade, but the 12 x 16 panel is hard to fit between me and the steering wheel.  Can't wait for summer!

RIPPLES AND REFLECTIONS

Ripples and Reflections, 24 x 12 oil

The clouds are breaking up.  The river is mostly still, with a few ripples expanding as they come forward.  Nearer the front of the painting, I can see into the water in the shadow of the trees. This painting takes me two days, as I'm painting this larger panel all on location for the Lake Oswego Chronicle show in June.