July 2024

This month whizzed by with yet another long road trip to visit with family, days on days of rain (thank God), and vet appointments for our Luna. In between all of these events I’ve managed to work on some paintings both large and Petit. I’m releasing a collection of my Petit Paintings next month on August 8th. Subscribe to my newsletter to get notified.

For more on each of these photos, yes including the throwback of me in that lovely getup, scroll below.

Petit and Très Petit Paintings from this month. The rabbit and Redfish tail were shipped off to new homes. The Tropical Checker Skipper will be a part of next month’s collection release. These skippers (an intermediate species between butterflies and moths) have been all over my garden during the last few weeks. I love their delicate patterning and their small size.

Our Australian Cattle Dog Luna, a.k.a, “Luna-tic,” underwent surgery this month. We thought she “just” had a torn ACL but when the vet got in there it turned out she also had a torn meniscus.

Our poor girl has to be crated for an entire month. If any of you are familiar with Blue Heelers, you know that they are not ones to sit sedentary. I’ve positioned her crate where she can watch squirrels and boats go by. Don’t worry, she’s still barking at them and would put up a good chase if we’d let her. I’m looking forward to when we can throw the ball and cuddle on the sofa together, but, Doctor’s orders.

My mother was going through old photos this month and pulling fabulous fashion moments of both myself and my two younger sisters. Each time my phone buzzed it got funnier. I’ll spare my sisters from the embarrassment of sharing some of their photos, but here is one of me at my sister Heidi’s birthday tea party. I always loved dressing up.

Thank you Mom for not sending the ones of me with leggings on my head where I was pretending to have long hair.

I’d like to think I have more refined taste these days and this month I was so thrilled to receive my Needle Street ring from Hali MacLaren of HKM Jewelry. I’d been eyeballing this ring ever since being introduced to Hali in the Wonder Mastermind. When I met her in person at the Chester County Studio Tour last month I was able to commission it in person. Most of Hali’s pieces are nautically inspired and she donates a portion all proceeds to ocean conservation.

The other ring was a Valentine’s Day gift from Kenny a few years back and is by artist Gabriella Kiss. It reads “AMOR OMNI VINCIT.”

An ink drawing of a “Lexy” rose from my garden and the specimen herself.

A good friend of mine who lives in Spain sent me this image of architectural ornament in one of the buildings of Montserrat. This kind of detail always weaves through my work and inspires compositions.

An oil painting in progress inspired by the foxes that often pass by my studio disappearing into the neighboring woods.