The Wortham Center http://www.houstontx.gov/worthamcenter/ in Houston, Texas. I have happy memories of seeing the ballet with Mom and Dad here. It is a lovely facility.

This lovely orchid at Longwood Gardens (www.longwoodgardens.org) in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania captivated me. I do not normally paint flowers, but this one seemed almost architectural, so I gave it a try.

Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm, Sweden

Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm, Sweden

This is the grand staircase at Winterthur http://www.winterthur.org/about/period_tours.asp?part=7. I broke the rules of watercolor technique to make these. I used the paint to build up, which is different from how most artists use watercolor. I mixed the paint with just a little water, keeping it thick like a gauche.

These took a long time to paint. I worked on the three paintings simultaneously. I took the source photos using my Canon EOS Digital Rebel SLR. The source photos are shown here. What do you think?

In Torino, Italy, the bus I was riding in paused for a moment at a stoplight and I took a cursory photo of the Cantine Risso restaurant

http://www.esp.cityvox.com/bonnes-adresses_turin/cantine-risso_31844/ProfilLieu. When I returned home, I used my source photo for this painting.

I love the way the lace turned out.

Not every painting is a "success" in my point of view. This watercolor was a quick sketch done en plein air on a beach in Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands (http://www.b-v-i.com/JostVanDyke/). I was there for a daytrip with cients, and I broke away for a few moments by myself. I am not sure if it is the cursory speed at which I painted, my unfamiliarity with the terrain, or the challenges of painting water, but I don't count this piece among my favorites. Nonetheless, it reminds me of a beautiful day spent on a pristine beach.