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Mallorca, Spain…home of Rafa Nadal. Four days of lessons on the red clay and a tour of his Academy.
Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea….
And from Spain to London…for grass court tennis and the cathedral of tennis: Wimbledon.
L to R back row: Matt, Gowri, Marty, Elizabeth, Mark, me, Jane, baby Mya, Jenna, Andrew, Lauren, Sam, Erin, Jaime, Tom. Front row kiddos L to R: Izzy, Miles, Maddie, Abi, Emerson.
One of my tennis friends, the Mr., commissioned me to create two paintings for his wife (I know her, too)
as a surprise gift honoring their long marriage.
He wanted to remember the first time he laid eyes on her…in the produce section of Marketime Foods in Fremont, WA. !!!! My photographer, Toni Pinto, and I headed over to Marketime for a photoshoot, and put together several images for The Mr. to choose from.
Mr. also wanted a painting of the place for their First Date, Bizzarro Italian Cafe, in Wallingford, WA. So, again, Toni & I headed there for a photoshoot…
“The Mrs. was really moved. Both our boys were in town and they had a chance to experience it with us. No one will ever forget it. She had no idea. The colors, the detail, your interpretation, everything turned out so well. Thanks again for all of your work on this project…now we have something beautiful and meaningful that will always be with us. “
Here is a finished painting, a commission, of a beloved father with his two daughters (who are now in college). The title: “Superman”
And, here is an iPhone image from my client after she choose the frame & mat, which enhanced the painting. She has impeccable taste!
For those who are curious, this is the original reference photo.
Three of my paintings will be on display at the Matzke Fine Art Gallery March 5—April 10. The Opening Reception is Saturday March 5 from 1:30-5:30pm. Food & drink for those who come by! This is the Women Painters of Washington Spring Juried Exhibition…2345 Blanche Way, Camano Island, WA 360-387-2759
“The Red Car Travels On”, oil on canvas, 22”x35”, custom framed.
“Slipping Through”, oil on canvas, 19”x31”, custom framed.
“The Neighborhood”, oil on canvas, 30”x40”.
For the month of July 2020, this ad is in the Kitsap Magazine on every Washington State Ferry!
This year I gifted our dear granddaughter Emma a painting of the grand entrance to Manhattan, Kansas.
This is the place where she goes to college.
I counted on my son, Jaime Quick, for the drone photo capture—so it was a family effort all around!
Only happens once or twice a year in the Greater Puget Sound area of Washington State…and this one was a big snow fall. Still, my commute to the studio is short….
“The Cloud”, oil on canvas, 20” x 48”
We made a trip to Cannon Beach….to gallery-hunt and have some fun on the beach. JQ brought his drone, and his artistry, combined with mine, resulted in the beginning of a new series of oil paintings. Our trip was in August, and two paintings are done, with two more on the easel.
Emerson got his first-ever kite. He chose one shaped like a black shark, and named it ‘Sharky”.
Sharky was tricky initially…but, not for long!
“The Red Kite”, oil on canvas, 24” x 36”
The galleries I stopped by are the White Bird Gallery and the DragonFire Gallery, Cannon Beach, OR.
And, of course, a Bubble Gum ice cream cone after all that running after Sharky…
We wrap up an exceptional summer of fun, and studio time.
Lake Sammamish…with Mr. Tom Walker! Thank you, Sandy & Marty, for our annual boating adventure.
Our cottage…my studio…and our garden in all its glory.
“Green Umbrellas”, oil on canvas, 24” x18”, SOLD at UGallery in August!
Yes…then, watch this 45 second video to learn more!
Happy Hour in our driveway with wonderful neighbors Drew & Cathy! April, and it is still cold and gray in our State of Washington….hence, the down jackets and neck-scarfs. Sigh.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING…my work was accepted into the premier Online Gallery: UGallery
The UGallery Team! Leah, Alex, and Samantha…
UGallery: …”Browsing our online gallery is meant to feel like a leisurely afternoon visiting local galleries – from the comfort of your home. We believe that good art brings people together, elevates living spaces, and transforms lives. Founded by Gallery Director Alex Farkas in 2006, UGallery has developed a loyal following of art collectors, artists, and interior designers in all 50 states and over 50 countries.
National Nordic Museum, Ballard, WA
Author Julia Cameron wrote the classic “The Artist’s Way” over twenty-five years ago, and I have done the “morning pages” twice in the last decade. One of her great ideas (a homework assignment, really) is the monthly Artist Date. Treat oneself to an enriching & inspirational day away from the studio….
…so, I took myself out-to-lunch at the Nordic Museum in Ballard, and had a cheese plate with a frosty Icelandic Mule. Yum, on both items….
The featured artist is Danish painter Laurits Anderson Ring (1854-1933), in his first solo exhibition in the USA.
I like to get an inch away from a painting by a master artist and look closely at the way he or she handles the brush strokes. In places, L.A. Ring dragged the brush over the canvas and left raw, scumbled edges. I usually try to correct that when I do the same. Now, I see I can leave it. Always learning!
The oil painting is complete…and I’m starting to see some stirring of an abstract point of view as I work with these fascinating drone shots.
“The Barn”, oil on canvas, 30”x48”.
Here is my son, Jaime (he’s an FAA pilot) with me capturing the image on our May trip to Kansas.
“The Road”, oil on canvas, 24”x36”.
I am really exploring abstract elements in this piece.
“Aqua”, oil on canvas, 24” x 24”.
Our garden is in full force and my view from the studio is lovely…
Twice a year, several of us head to the studio of Patrick LoCicero in North Seattle for an Art Critique. (He’s a Picasso addict!)
One inspiration in my studio is the painting I bought, “Thorpe Marshes”, by Anna Macrae. Our work ethic is similar in that we both consistently put in the time, but our process is so opposite! Seen up close, Anna’s piece has pieces of canvas glued or stapled on; ink lines running around; pastel marks in spots…so free & vivid & expressive. I’m all about detail & precision & expression.
Savoring my next choices for painting…all good reference photos from friends & family.
A super gathering at our friends’ house to kick-off summer in the Pacific Northwest!
Nothing quite beats working with another artist, drone photographer, Jaime Quick…
Jaime & I were in Kansas collecting reference photos for my new series. At this abandoned farm house and barn, the hawks were circling the drone. Yikes!
Here is a drone shot of water towers my easel currently. The nature of this series of work is evolving into an almost “abstract art” quality.
Here is another painting inspired by Jaime’s drone shot…
