"Sunny Day in Venice" (SOLD)

This painting sold this weekend to a collector in Virginia who previously had purchased another of my gondola pieces.  Thanks, Laura!  And thanks, Humayunn, for the inspiration.

"Fiery Sky and Rice Paddy" (SOLD)

Here's one that just sold on eBay - a woman surveying a vast expanse of rice paddies in Laos.  Hard to see in the photo is the texture of her worn denim jacket and the red tie at the end of her ponytail.  They are what I like most about the painting.

Thanks Ben V. for the inspiration!

"Boats on the Portuguese Coast" (SOLD)

Not a lot going on in this painting, but I guess that's the point.  Just a lazy day on the Portuguese coast.  Fairly thick oil paint.  Used a palette knife to do a little etching.  Really enjoyed that (yeah, painters are easily amused!) and will be doing more in future paintings.

Many thanks to "Sunniest" for the inspiration!

"Into the Village" (SOLD)

Steps lead from a shadowed alley into the bright sunlight of Sorrento, Italy.

"On the Cinque Terre" (SOLD)

Colorful rowboats await passengers on an overcast morning in the Cinque Terre, a group of five villages on a rugged portion of Italian coast.  Grab a cappuccino and a cornetto.  The sun will be out soon!

"Late Afternoon Gondola Ride" (SOLD)

Bundled against the cold that will come when the sun sets, a vacationing couple heads out on a gondola ride. Later, they'll feast on pasta and red wine in front of a glowing fire at one of Venice's many gourmet restaurants. Lucky bastards.

Many thanks to Alagappan for the photo!

"Mottled Monk (Lhasa)" (SOLD)

Sun streams through the trees and "illuminates" a monk as he makes his way past a monastery in Lhasa, Tibet.

Many thanks to my Flickr friend Nick for the source photo!

"Long Day's End" (SOLD)

Here's one inspired by Ursula O'Farrell, a painter I discovered not long ago. This painting doesn't reach the level of artistic abstractions that her beautiful figurative paintings do, but it was a step in that direction anyway. And working with the bright colors was fun.

Many thanks to Mary in South Carolina, who added this painting to her collection.

Coming soon, a couple commissioned pieces for a sailor and art enthusiast in Georgia.

Regrets and Red Bag (SOLD)

Is she leaving or arriving? Her regrets or someone else's?

So this is a new take on figures for me. Loose impressionist... almost pointillist? I had fun painting it and kinda liked the way it came out. And it sold on eBay (thanks, Suzanne!), so I guess there are two of us anyway. : )

"Eternal" (SOLD)

This very dignified elderly woman lives in rural southern Afghanistan. I was drawn to the photo (thanks, Gianluca!) by the dramatic contrast between the lights and darks... as well as the dramatic contrast between my very comfortable life here in the U.S. and what I presume to be her fairly challenging life in her country.

Source photo credit: Gianluca Di Santo - White Tara Productions (www.whitetara.org)

"Moroccan Drydock" (SOLD)

The hot African sun beats down on the drydock, where fishing boats get repairs and a fresh coat of paint.

Thanks, Maurice, for the excellent original photo!

Rebel Returns (SOLD)

Battered by icy winds and pelted by sleet, Rebel carves her way through growing swells to return to the shelter of her slip.

I'm particularly happy with this painting, not because of the quality of the finished product but because there IS a finished product. I was just seconds away from wiping (i.e. trashing) it, as it wasn't going well, but at the last second decided to keep it, albeit with a fairly major overhaul. And, ultimately, Rebel survives to sail on.

Many thanks to Rob for the beautiful original photo... to which this painting bears very little resemblance. : )