Harbor View - Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games

This is the third and final painting in a series of watercolors I painted for my clients for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. This was the favorite painting in the series. I painted this before I arrived in Vancouver, and when I actually saw this spot in person, I realized I exaggerated the rings a bit. They are not quite this large in real life. But, it is art, so I am allowed to make some interpretations, right?

I enjoyed walking along the harbor on several nights, as my work days were long and a daytime walk was never possible. I love that the city had a safe, beautiful place to walk at night, since that was my best opportunity to take in some sites.

Olympic Closing Ceremonies Tonight

This is the second piece I created for my clients for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The rings light up the harbor at night. It really gets you in the spirit of the Games seeing this at night. I ended up having a similar view our my window of my hotel.

The Olympics in Vancouver, BC - BC Place

I wanted to paint some Olympic themed images of Vancouver for my clients prior to my trip to the Olympics to assist with the execution of a sponsor program. I struggled to find the iconic images that were so easy to compose in my Summer Olympic series surrounding the Beijing Olympics. Since I painted Beijing's "Birds Nest" stadium, I thought painting BC Place would be a complimentary image. Wrong! Its a dome. I feel bad saying it, but this is not an architectural marvel. I do not look at this and wonder in amazement how it was made. Rather, I wonder in amazement why it was made.

Stay tuned for some other Vancouver Olympic themed work I did. I was dissatisfied with the result of this painting, so I kept trying!

The Astor's Beechwood

I love this property. I remember visiting the Astor's Beechwood (www.astorsbeechwood.com) as a little girl and taking the tour --led by actors in period costume-- with my family. I remember standing in the front of the group, eagerly following our guide through all the rooms of this lovely mansion. I truly believe my childhood trip to the Astor's Beechwood sparked my interest in museums, and in turn my studies in college.

I started this painting over the summer, and have carried it around in my paint kit for some time. I wrote previously that I struggle painting white buildings, and this neutral color was also a challenge for the same reason.

It's Halloween. Can you guess what we decided to be?

iPhones!

Our costumes were a big hit, and I carefully painted each app! Unlike most of my other work, I painted the apps that made up our costumes using acrylic paints on reclaimed fabric. You may also notice the fabric "puff paint" I used in the Yelp app to add some dimension and shine. I wanted to make a homemade costume that was current, relevant, and inexpensive to produce, but once I started painting 40 apps, I realized I set myself up for a complicated project. It took more time then I anticipated, but everything was completed in time for the big weekend. In the photo above, we are posing in front of a Mondrian at SfMOMA's Curiosities Party. Thanks to Celestine for the photo.

The Contemporary Jewish Museum www.thecjm.org in downtown San Francisco is located in a lovely courtyard area in the center of the block bounded by Market, Mission, 3rd, and 4th. I love walking down Yerba Buena alley and passing by this monument when I going through this part of town. I would love to paint this building again in different lighting or from a slightly different angle. We'll see... there is so much I want to paint!

This building, 2008 Washington Street, is just up the street from me. I love walking by here and imagining I called this place home. It is next door to Danielle Steele's house, the old Sprekels Mansion, and across from Lafayette Park.

I feel like my art is very safe, so I am trying to push the envelope a little. This is a place on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco that I walk past every day. It is not the prettiest or most well composed landscape I have painted, but I wanted something that was an urban landscape in its most natural state.

Many a calorie has been gained at this delectable little seafood shack. Red's Eats is a Wiscasset, Maine staple. This place is not far from my family's summer cabin, so it is a favorite place to stop to consume part of my annual allotment of "lobstah rolls" and whoopee pies.

I enjoyed painting this work because of the candycane striped awning, the challenge of the lettering, and the people. I often avoid painting people, but I can handle painting them from the back.

I named my art business "I Was Here" because I enjoy painting the places I visit. With this painting, I had a tickle of happiness each time I pulled the painting out to work on it. I love looking at this and remembering a funny moment last summer. On a dare, my mother pretended to toss my precious lobster roll (which we waited in line a while to get) into the water. My baby nephew slept beside me in his stroller and my sister and brother-in-law broke into laughter. It was a lovely moment as the sun went down and we ate until we were full. This painting brought me back there each time I worked on it. I was here.

This is the Paul Barret Jr. Library at Rhodes College (http://www.rhodes.edu/) as seen from the Kappa Sigma house front lawn. I am a Rhodes alum, so this was a natural pick for my next watercolor subject. The library was constructed after I graduated, but I snapped the source photos for this when I was visiting for Homecoming.

1969 Rolls Royce Cornishe. Probably my last car painting for a while, but it was a fun trying something different.

People are always really surprised to hear that I often paint on planes. Whenever I fly, painting with my field watercolor kit is my favorite activity to keep me occupied. Above are two recent photos. The first is in a first class seat, and the second is in coach. It works in both!

Painting at home can be distracting. On the plane, there are never disrupting phone calls. The blackberry is off- so no emails to worry about. I don't even have to get up to get water as the flight attendants bring it to the seat. The tray table works just fine as a work space, and it cleans up easily. The cocktail napkins they pass out with the pretzels work better then a paper towel for blotting. The ipod and fancy headphones clear out the noise of the plane, and I am off in my own little world.

This is the exterior of Hop Kiln Winery in Sonoma (www.hopkilnwinery.com). I tried a different technique here- the use of watercolor pencils. I have resolved to stick with my brushes, but it was a fun experiment.

Now for something completely different...
In 2005, my husband and I took a trip to Italy. While in Venice, I snapped a picture of these street performers and I have had the photo in my "inspiration" file ever since. So, this one is for Venice Carnival lovers... for people who love the masks they sell along the winding streets in Venice.

Philips Hill Estates (www.phillipshillestates.com) in Anderson Valley just moved into this charming historic building. Toby, the wine maker, is an artist, too. I love his work-- which is abstract, and the total opposite of mine. I will send a copy of this little painting along to Toby, though, to commemorate his new space!

This painting is of Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma www.chateaustjean.com. I tried to keep the painting light, quirky and imperfect, and with just a few playful shadows. The winery has a lush lawn and I wanted to capture that as much as the building.

This is the front door to my grandparent's home when I was growing up. It no longer is their home, and it is no longer red... this was more of a sentimental piece.

I adore the swimming pool at the Montage in Laguna Beach http://www.montagelagunabeach.com/. This is one of my all-time favorite properties. I love the subtle colors of the lodge interiors, the landscaping, the views, and this amazing pool. I even love their branding- their logo is a little gilded framed painting. What's not to love?

Franciscan Winery (www.franciscan.com) in Napa. I am pleased with how the glass came out. I tried to capture the late afternoon sun setting in the color on the glass and the shadows.

Here is the second painting from the Jacuzzi Winery www.jacuzziwines.com in Sonoma. Between the time I started this painting and completed it, the winery added the blue awning and the plants grew (a lot). I noticed the awning when I did a google images search of the winery, just to check on a few details as I painted. Although I have not been to Jacuzzi since its new blue awning was added, I decided to paint it in anyway. I think it is funny when the buildings change as I am painting them. The painting of the Amelia Payson Bed and Breakfast, for example, is not longer accurate as the shutters have changed color. I also have a painting coming of my grandmother's old house, which was painted a different color after she moved. There are several others that have changed.