April 9th, 2008 at 5:56 pm (Fine Art Societies, Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Galleries, Exhibitions & Shows, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings, Paintings of Birds, Songbird & Hummingbird Paintings and Sketches)
This is a new miniature I painted that went to England for a miniature art exhibit. It is a finch with apple blossoms and is a little smaller than 4×6. My Dad has some awesome flowering fruit trees that I love …which inspired this painting… 
(I have ’spring fever’ -I’m really wishing for spring around here to look like spring. 
:p )
The little bird isn’t life-sized…which I really would have loved to paint him (I love painting things life-sized and the challenge to make them look like they will walk off my artboard ). The piece was painted to be shown in this exhibition which has an image area limit, and he had to be arranged compositionally in the painting with the flowers…this was the most pleasing arrangement that I came up with.
I really would like to paint the concept as a 6×8 or a little larger sized miniature so that I would have more space for everything… (Maybe the next painting… 
lol!)
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April 4th, 2008 at 9:36 pm (Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings, Sketches, Studies, & Doodles)
It is finally starting to feel like spring - it is warm enough to open the windows of my studio to listen to the birds sing during the day while I paint.
Things haven’t ‘greened up’ quite yet, but I am anxiously waiting for them to sprout. This is a sketch of an iris from my garden (a blossom from last year). I felt like painting something warm and glowing that reminded me of early summer…
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December 9th, 2007 at 5:28 pm (Butterfly Paintings & Sketches, Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Inspiration, Research Study, & Field Trips, Miscellaneous, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings)
I thought that I would post a little of my inspiration.
I do quite a bit of digging around researching earlier miniature art through various different sources. The art of miniature painting has so many different facets to it and connected to so many cultures. Seeing so much that has come before me is very inspiring in my own painting.
These are a few Flemish miniature paintings of nature subjects from around 1600. They are stunningly intricate and delicate. I find them absolutely beautiful and so inspiring. They are painted in watercolors on vellum in much the same way that I paint my work.
I think I find them particularly fascinating because my painting methods originated with my studies a number of years ago with a Flemish artist who also paints nature like this. He had studied it in his native country. It is rooted deeply in their culture. …and continues today.
Miniature paintings, like these, show wildlife art being carefully depicted by artists who also shared a connection with nature 400 years ago.
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June 3rd, 2007 at 11:43 am (Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings)
This is a miniature painting of a blooming cactus 3-3/4" x 4-3/4" that I just completed titled "Cactus Jewel". It’s a pretty intricate and involved painting. It is painted on ivorine, a simulated ivory surface - Ivory is a traditional ground and popular for miniature artists to paint on since the 1700’s - of course, due to conservation reasons, has now been replaced with the synthetic version (which, though synthetic, has been used by miniature artists for over a century).
I have been delighted with my experience with painting on ivorine. (…and am planning to paint more of them.) Normally I have painted watercolor on board, which would be similar to traditional surfaces that were used also, though a little more modern.
The experiments with this surface have been due to one of my friend’s, Joan Willies, influence. She has a tremendous knowledge of miniature art as well as the history and techniques, and a little of it is rubbing off on me. She also has a beautiful website of her miniature paintings here. 
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May 31st, 2007 at 9:15 pm (Butterfly Paintings & Sketches, Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Galleries, Exhibitions & Shows, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings)
This painting, "Summer Blossoms - Queen Butterfly", and "Sunrise - Screech Owl" will be a part of the Bennington Center for the Arts "Small Works Show" that will be on display June 9th - December 23rd, 2007 in Bennington, Vermont. Thanks to the Bennington Center for the Arts for making this exhibition possible!
For more information about the arts center, visit
www.benningtoncenterforthearts.org
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May 7th, 2007 at 12:27 pm (Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Inspiration, Research Study, & Field Trips, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings, Sketches, Studies, & Doodles)
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April 22nd, 2007 at 11:44 am (Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Galleries, Exhibitions & Shows, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings)
I am very pleased to post that "Garden Irises" will be a part of this year’s "26th Annual Juried Miniatures Art Show" at the El Dorado Fine Art Gallery in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The show will run from April 29th to May 21st at the gallery and will feature many miniature paintings by artists from around the United States as well as foreign artists’ work. They put on a very nice exhibit of miniature art. I am very happy to be a part of this year’s event.
For more information about the gallery and the miniature art show, please visit their website: http://www.eldoradogallery.net/
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April 2nd, 2007 at 10:45 pm (Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings, Paintings of Birds, Sketches, Studies, & Doodles, Songbird & Hummingbird Paintings and Sketches)
I gave myself a little treat today - I started a new painting, though it is one of those pieces that I have to do. Getting started on a new piece is always refreshing. I think it’s because there are so many things that can be done with a new painting. It fills your mind with all of the creative ideas and possibilities. This is a ruby throated hummingbird with wild columbine - the design sketch for the new miniature watercolor.
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March 21st, 2007 at 1:43 pm (Fine Art Societies, Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Galleries, Exhibitions & Shows, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings)
This is a really small miniature painting that is just about done now. It’s one of my Irises from our garden that should be coming up this spring.
It is pretty small - due to the 1/6th rule. For those who aren’t aware, There are a lot of miniature societies around the world that have exhibitions for miniature art and one of the rules for their miniature shows is to paint 1/6th lifesize or smaller. So, this little iris is under 1".
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February 13th, 2007 at 4:14 pm (Flower & Floral Paintings & Sketches, Nature Paintings & Sketches, Paintings, Paintings in Little - Small Miniature Paintings)
This is a little miniature painting that I have been working on (on and off) for a while. I just love wildflowers - these are a cluster from here in Minnesota. I have a little more to do on it, but the photo of the painting should give you an idea of the mood and concept of the miniature.
I thought a miniature format for the painting would be perfect for a little splash of color. It is very tiny — as you can see by the photo of the painting. :) The artwork is 1in x 1/2in.
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