To Dance Between Sea And Sky

Acrylic on paper, silk and cotton, with glass and semi-precious beads, sequins, 23K gold leaf and butterfly wings. 10 x 13" (25 x 33 cm)

The Two Ships

Acrylic on paper and silk with broken seashells. 11 x 22" (28 x 56 cm).

Talking Over Our Heads

But the speaker's head is full of holes.

Acrylic on paper, cotton and leather with beads, pearls and 23K gold leaf. 7.5 x 11" (19 x 28 cm).

The Hurricane and The Butterfly

Hang onto your hats! 

Acrylic on paper, cotton and cotton/linen with broken shell, butterfly wings (found) and 23K gold leaf. 7.5 x 11" (19 x 28 cm.).

The Very Young Mariner

Before the painted ship, upon a painted ocean. Before the dice, the mast and the Albatross. His wanderings are just beginning.

Acrylic on paper and silk (recycled Jerry Garcia tie) sand, broken shell, glass, ceramic and bone beads, and labradorite. 11 x 15" (28 x 38 cm.)

Odysseus and His Siren

We all have our favorite and most flattering songs. And She'll sing you anything you want to hear.

Acrylic on Arches paper, leather, string, cotton and embroidery with 23K gold leaf.

11 x 15" (28 x 38 cm).

The View From the Crow's Nest

Acrylic on canvas. 36 X 48" (91.4 x 121.9 cm). Palette knife painting.

Joe's Gift

I just did this book cover for Joseph Alff, MSW, for his latest book, "Joe's Gift". It is a lovely book of his thoughts on making a more fulfilled and loving life. I'm excited about the way the cover came out and thought the title and all looked really wonderful. You can find both the print version and the e-book version on Amazon.

The Practical Navigator

She’s seen a lot of ports of call.  The beauties of the Orient, scent of rare perfumes, spices. She’s carried silks and gems, books, delicate blue and white ceramics. Tea, wool and grain. Heard the languages of the whole wide world.

 But she keeps her mind on the practical nature of her work. Eyes only to the horizon, the line between blue and deeper blue or the grey-green of storm. Heeding compass and chart, sextant and astrolabe.

Sometimes, though, the lines seem to bind, not to spar or canvas, bowsprit or martingale, but to a nearly transparent wave of memory. A cloud takes on the shape of a vessel with full sails. She feels the tug, the swell of the Heart, and she is aweigh once more.

Acrylic on canvas with silk, cotton, linen, broken shell, Chinese ceramic beads, carved bone, pearls, glass beads, tiger’s eye, agate and 23K gold leaf.

48 x 72” or 122 x 183 cm.

The Evening

Her Gaze Upon The Waters

A painting to be donated to the Navy League Ball raffle, June 22 at the Detroit Yacht Club. 16 x 20" mixed media on canvas.

Planting an Idea

Found black galvanized metal planters at Ikea for $44.- and got two to paint. The front porch needs a big-ish feel. These are 24" high and 22" across the top. The big imagery will help them in that spot on either side of the front door. Now just need a clearcoat of protectant.

A Little Life

Blood Groove

The sample, in its crystalline vial, was snapped shut, mixed carefully, sealed into an envelope, sent to the lab and the results arrived in an email a few weeks later. The centuries fell away in crisp black and white and the reel of history was played out in the graceful curves of a double helix…



Across the thirsty land, two men – nearly brothers - faced one another. Horses snorted and reared. The sunlight glinted off iron. Swords clashed, blood was spilled… The cross took the place of the crescent as a cloud cut over the face of the Moon…

We are never more distant from one another than 50th cousin. DNA tells us a different story than churches, temples, banks, and men in power. It is time to read, and to believe. The truth, this time around. We share the same Heart.

Acrylic on canvas with upholstery fabric, cotton, silk, polyester, leather and bone.
24 x 36” or 60.9 x 91.4 cm.

Sea Chantey

Calling all Sailors! From across the waters of the world comes the Song… You must listen very carefully, because it runs so quietly through the seashell of the ear and brain.



It is the Song of those who share our nature and the sea-salt composition of warm blood. Its soft, plaintive undercurrent is difficult to detect over the din and cacophony of embarkations and arrivals, the tapping-out of messages, the ringing-in of profits, assurances of security, in boardrooms and banks, and over the ticking of omnipresent Clocks.



Navigate with mindfulness of the kith-and-kindred nature of what sails alongside of you, unseen but always there.



Acrylic on canvas with upholstery fabric, silk, cotton, linen and gold leaf and mica. 30 x 40" or 76.2 x 101.6 cm.

Chac-Mool

A sort of doodle done while waiting for glue to dry on another painting. Chac-mools are normally depicted with their heads turned to the side, but this just struck me as a Chac-mool. And here comes the ship...

Acrylic, house paint and fake gold leaf on watercolor paper and upholstery fabric with photo transfer.

8.5 x 10" or 21.5 x 25.4 cm.

The Lady and Her Camel

Deep in the chintz, the Aynsley patterned sleeves, lace collar. Mouth of Africa, tiger's-eye, and a camel for her arms. She inhabits the globe without ever leaving her drawing room.

Acrylic on paper with cotton, wool, white metal, bone and glass beads, old watch. 10 X 13" or 24.4 x 33 cm.

The Devil And His Kiss

(He'll promise you anything).

Acrylic on paper with glass and stone beads and 23K gold leaf. 10 X 13" or 25 X 33 cm.

A Fool For Love

The Jester pokes fun at everyone and everything, but when he is in love he is truly a Fool. Meanwhile, a Camel passes through his Eye and enters a desert oasis in the soft background...

Acrylic paint on paper with leather, silk, wool, copper leaf, glass, bone and ceramic. 11 X 15" or 27 X 38 cm.

Pillow Talk

Another needle felted Mermaid. She will also end up on a pillow, like the first one.

Because I Felt Like It

I decided to try needle felting today. JoAnn Fabrics was open so I bought the needles, the wool roving and a felt backing. This is my first attempt. I will make a pillow for the guest room with it.

Kiss!

Acrylic on paper and reverse acrylic painting on mica.

The Sad King

Acrylic on paper and reverse painting on mica with 23K gold leaf.

The striations in the body and the "dots" in the face are part of the natural sheet mica.

The Saint

Acrylic on paper and reverse acrylic painting on mica with 23K gold leaf.

Repainting Miss Liberty, Nov.7, 2012

Acrylic on paper and mica with macaw feather.

Mica Painting

A painting on paper and sheets of mica. A very unusual mineral, it was used by Native Americans, most famously by the ancient Hopewell Indians of Ohio, to make marvelous cut-outs or hands and hawks. It has also been used as a natural glitter in frescoes. Now sold as an art material in craft shops. It peels very interestingly, and is mostly transparent, lending itself to layering of materials. In this case, I have used acrylic paint on both front and reverse, faux gold leaf behind and on top of it, and paua shells all glued down with gloss gel medium. The piece on the far left of the painting has a lot of wonderful, moss-like inclusions, right in the mineral itself. I did not paint on that piece but added it pure to the mix.

Leftovers

The studio isn't quite ready. Still needs lighting, an alternative heat source. But in between home improvement projects I can snatch a little art time here and there. I have discovered that leftover Behr paint samples make really nice little paintings on paper. A couple of them here. Just warm-ups, to be doing something other than picking out lighting fixtures, climbing ladders and snapping pictures of local wildlife...

Conversation

Beyond the Breakfast Table...

"Without leaving my house, I know the whole universe." - Lao-Tzu

My Giverny

The new house has a Japanese-style bridge over a muddy, weedy little pond. I have big plans for the little bridge and the little pond. But I will have to excavate because the pond has collapsed in on itself to a degree. Then I may paint it the same color as Monet's Japanese bridge. Or not. We shall see...