Nikolas

This is my 8 year old Grandson, Nik.  I told
him that I wanted to paint a portrait of him but
I needed to take some reference pictures of
him first...he agreed and started to smile... I
told him that it would be better if he didn't
smile since I really don't like to paint teeth!!!
so he posed so seriously after that and
started to laugh!!  When he calmed down,
I took some nice shots but now he looks a
bit depressed.  LOL  I enjoyed painting
my handsome little man...

"Carlyle"

Did you ever see a person who you really
needed to paint?  Recently,   I went to
Carlyle Fairgrounds in PA, to see the car
show.  This man was walking with a friend
and had "that face" that called me!!   So of
course, I took his photo.  It was such a
beautiful day so the light hitting his face was
perfect with all those wonderful shadows..
which later I saw in the photo...AHHH!!!!
The little things that make me happy...

Mother's Day Portrait

I have two beautiful daughters....both amazing
Mom's.  This is my youngest, Jennifer, holding
Lexi just a few days old.  I wanted to paint a
portrait for her for Mother's Day.  I took this
reference picture when Lexi came home from
the hospital.  It was a candid shot which to me
is sometimes the best.  There is nothing more
beautiful than the love between Mom and child.

School Days

I took this photo from my family album
and decided to do a pastel portrait of
myself as a child.  I was in Elementary
School ...maybe 7 or 8 years old.   I
remember how I loved this dress.  I'm
pretty sure that this was close to the
original color since this was a black and
white photo.  I've been feeling a bit
nostalgic lately and seem to pick photos
from the "Good ole Days".  I remember
those days with a smile on my face !!!


9 x 12 Pastel Portrait

Navy Man

This is my brother-in-law, Joe, at
the age of 21 when he was in the Navy.
After leaving the Navy he became a
Policeman...then he worked as a uniformed
secret service officer in the White House
during the Kennedy Administration. How
proud am I ?! The original reference
picture was in black and white so I colorized
it a bit!. He still looks as handsome as he did when
he took this photo.

San Francisco

A few years back, we visited San Francisco.
So much to see...so little time. We went to
Chinatown, Alcatraz, visited the seals on
Fisherman's Wharf, Muir Woods and of
course, Sausalito... that afternoon, we
walked up those city streets ( or should
I say Mountains!) I felt like I was hiking..
very exhausting. We saw so many beautiful
homes with different pastel colors.. one
prettier than the other...They all seemed to
have colorful flowers on their front lawns..
a picture that I had to take for a future
pastel painting!!

Katie

We always have a Chinese Auction
at Curves every year.. This year, my
contribution was to paint a portrait.
The winner's name was Pat and she
decided she wanted me to paint a
portrait of her Granddaughter on her
Christening day...Katie is dressed in
the traditional Christening outfit from
Vietnam. She is a beautiful little baby
who now is 10 years old. I loved
painting Katie and was so happy that
her Grandma loved the portrait.

Sunset Beach

When we went to Long Beach,LI
last year, I took the reference
picture of the Ocean which took
my breath away. I've never seen
the colors again like I did that day.
Actually, the sun was just beginning
to set..These birds came just in time
for their picture to be taken..probably
looking for food that people left behind.

Still Life - Oranges-Apple

I bought this Brass bowl and the three
brass goblets at a garage sale last
summer so I decided to use them in
this still life. I used my oil paints for
this one..However, since I'm still new
with this medium I had a hard time
painting apples, so except for one, I
replaced them with oranges. LOL I
I enjoyed painting the wine bottles .

A Moment in Time

My Granddaughter Lexi was only about
two months old when I took the reference
picture for this pastel painting. I can't
believe 4 years have passed by already!
Last week, I went to an Antique shop
and saw a picture of a baby girl and it
inspired me to do this painting. I can
still smell the baby powder!!

For Sale

The reference picture for this
pastel painting was taken at the
Spring show in Carlyle, PA.
fairgrounds. This particular car
was for sale for $10,000.. it runs
and only has a little rust on it. LOL
I think its a Plymouth, maybe
1930-31 ? So hurry to the fairgrounds
before its sold!! For some strange
reason, I love to photograph antique
cars...and love to paint them as well!!!

Bird Watching

This is my granddaughter looking at
some birds through a telescope at the
Elizabeth A. Morton National Refuge
in Sag Harbor, NY. This is a wonderful
place to visit. They have many nesting
boxes and platforms protecting piping
plovers, roseate terns, osprey and other
shorebirds. They even close part of this
area between April 1st - August 31st in
order to minimize harm to nesting wildlife.
So if you decide to visit...don't forget your
cameras OR better yet..your paint boxes!!

Linda

I joined Curves a few years ago
after finding out I had high blood
pressure and was told to lose some
weight....Well, I did, and since then
I try to go at least 3 times a week to
maintain my weight. Linda is the
manager in Oceanside and an inspiration
to all of us. She has beautiful green eyes
that HAD to be painted! I hope Curves
appreciates the wonderful person
they have representing their Company.

First painting; 2012

My nephew's daughter was
sitting by the lamp in the living
room, Christmas Eve, when I
was captured by the shadows on
her face. I ran for my camera
and took the reference picture
for this portrait. I enjoyed
painting her so much...I always love
the challenge of getting the likeness
of the person on paper.

Nathan

I took the "challenge"and painted
one year old Nathan. Nathan is
Martine Alison's very handsome
grandson. You must visit Martine's
blog. Her paintings are absolutely
beautiful and so magical with glorious
colors!! www.martinealison.blogspot.com
Merry Christmas and Happy and
Healthy New Year to all of my friends
here in blogland!!!

John

My husband didn't have too many
pictures of himself as a young boy,
but this particular one was one of
my favorites..he was one of six boys
so by the time they got to him..well,
I guess they were tired of taking
pictures..LOL. As you can see, he had
his little Navy outfit on. This was
originally in sepia but I thought it
would be nice to colorize it..It's been
many years since this picture was
taken, but he's still my handsome
boy!!

Julia

I visited the Bronx Zoo recently and
met with this beautiful Gorilla named
Julia. I'm assuming this is her, since
they say that Julia is friendly and very
curious. She looks at everyone who
visits her at the Congo Gorilla Forest
each day. I was so surprised when a
little girl was waving at her and she
waved right back...you can imagine
how happy that made her. If you're
ever in the neighborhood...Julia would
love to see you!!

The Sound of Music

This is my first abstract of a picture
my Nephew found on line for me to
paint. He wanted this painting for
his music room. It's something that
I wouldn't paint normally, but once
I took the brush in my hand, I really
had a lot of fun with it. Someday I
would like to arrange my own
musical instruments creating a
different look......painting with oil..
of course..

Thank you, Elizabeth

I never wanted to be on facebook, but
one day I received notice that someone
was looking for me. My childhood friend,
Trina found me after 40 years with the
help of her daughter. Shocked ...but
incredibly happy, we reunited again. If
it wasn't for her daughter Elizabeth, this
reunion wouldn't have happened! I was
lucky enough to have attended Elizabeth's
wedding and this is her listening intently
to her sister's speech honoring her...

Heaven on Earth

I don't think there's a more
beautiful place...a more spiritual
place than when I visited the
Grand Canyon. What I saw was
layer upon layer of these beautifully
colored rock...almost like a staircase
going down into this amazing valley.
If you're in the right spot you can
see the Colorado River that snakes
around the valley.

Jordan Pond

We visited Acadia National Park in
Maine. We did some hiking by Jordan
Pond Shore Trail, which follows the
water's edge. It was an easy hike about
3 1/2 miles (loop) There was two
mountains northeast of the pond which
is called Bubble mountain. If you like
lobster and New England Clam chowder,
or just want to see some beautiful views,
visit Bar Harbor, Maine.!

Sunset in Venice

There is so much beauty in a
Sunset. Beautiful as it is peaceful.
My cousin and his wife recently
traveled to Venice, Italy, where he
gave me this reference picture.
I've never seen this rich orange
color in a sunset yet. I loved doing
this painting in pastel. I tried painting
it in oil but couldn't seem to capture
the softness. I still don't know
how to move those great colors around!
Someday. (I won't stop trying..)

Timeless Connection

The reference picture for this
pastel painting is of my Dad and
one of his 7 great grandchildren,
Skye. He cherished his moments with
them and they reveled the attention
of their "Papa". Pure love on his
part....pure wonder on theirs. He was
simply sharing some of his wonderful
stories with Skye. I often wondered if
she understood anything he told her
but I realize that it didn't even matter.
The language spoken between them here
is one where words are completely
unnecessary. It was just one of the many
moments where she was just bonding with this wonderful man she called "Papa"..

Kipper

Last Sunday, I went to my daughter's
block party and my niece Susan brought
her puppy Kipper. He is a MaltiPoo..a cross
between the Maltese and a poodle and
definitely a cutie.! I took a picture of
him and had to paint him.! Don't you
just love that face?

New York, New York

Last week, I spent the day in Manhattan with my
grandkids. First, we went to The American
Girl Store, then the Nintendo Store. We later
went to the Central Park Zoo. We decided
to take the subway there because we were too
tired to walk (Okay! I was too tired!)
This painting, believe it or not, was pretty
complicated for me.. I almost gave up
on it , but now I'm glad that I finished it.

Huntington, New York

Coastal Designs is the name of
the landscape company that had
this antique truck based in the
front of their property. I took
my reference picture of this
truck looking through the white
arbors. Yes, I can't seem to get
enough of these old trucks ..but
this time I only had to travel
about 1/2 hour from my home...

Hydrangeas

I love Hydrangeas and I've tried
drying them in the past with no
luck..they wilt immediately. My
friend Maddie has beautiful
Hydrangeas in her yard and she dried
a bouquet for me with all these
beautiful colors. I never painted a
floral but thought it would be
nice to try in oil.

My Sister

She is your mirror, shining back
at you with a world of possibilities.
She is your witness, who sees you
at your worst and best, and loves
you anyway. She is your partner
in crime, your midnight companion.
Someone who knows when you are
smiling, even in the dark. She is
your teacher, your defense attorney,
your personal press agent, even your
shrink. Some days, she's the reason
you wish you were an only child...
my favorite quote from Barbara
Alpert.

Days of work OVER

Heading home to New York after
hiking in Blackwater Falls, W. V.,
we saw this great antique truck just
waiting patiently for us to take a
picture. I didn't see it at first - my
husband saw a glimpse of the rusty
old Ford pick up truck and knew I
would want a picture of it. At one
time it must have been used by a
service station since there was some
writing still left on the door..

Horton's Point Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located in
Southold, LI. It sits on a bluff
60ft above the L.I.Sound. Its
still an active aid to navigation
and has a little museum inside.
My friend Gene, who now lives in
Georgia, requested a painting of
this lighthouse. I enjoyed painting
this for him. A little bit of Long
Island to take back to Georgia!!

Jacob

I recently switched pictures with my blogger
friend, Carol Blackburn, of one of our
grandchildren so we can practice painting
children. She painted my granddaughter,
Bianca and I painted her cute little
grandson Jacob. This is Jacob with his
"pouty" face.

Skye

I took a picture of my granddaughter
at her dance recital which inspired
this pastel painting. I struggled with
getting her to look her age. The makeup
she had on and the fact that her hair was
pulled up didn't help much either. She's
only 10 but looks 16! I like the painting
but I'm ready for your input!

Nostalgic Moment

Don't you just love the old vintage
photos that we find, and have a need
to paint? I found a photo of my cousin
Millie when she was a little girl. In the
1940's and early 50's wearing these
Navy outfits was often seen on young
girls and boys. Maybe some of you have
even worn them?

Montana

I did this oil painting of St.Mary Lake
in Glacier National Park, Montana. It
lies on the eastern side of Glacier
National Park. We couldn't believe how
beautiful this lake was. Great place to
visit with lots of hiking trails!!

A bit of the past

Early 1900's, gasoline pumps had
a calibrated glass cylinder on top.
The fuel was pumped up into the
cylinder. Pumping stopped; then the
gasoline was let out into the customer's
gas tank by gravity. Imagine?! We
found this vintage pump somewhere in
Tennessee or W.Virginia.?! Not sure.
Of course, this wonderful barn was what
caught my eye.

My First Oil Painting..

So who knew! I finally took the
plunge and walked to Hewlett Point
Beach L.I. and took a photo of this boat.
I bought oil paints years ago but
never dared to paint with them..
You all paint so beautifully with oil
as well as water that I wanted to at
least try.

Oktoberfest -2010

Every year, my husband and I go to
our friend's house for his annual
"Oktoberfest". There is nothing better
than enjoying the festive Bavarian band,
eating delicious German food, drinking all
kinds of beer and most of all..enjoying the
company of wonderful friends. This is Al
who was watching his wife dancing!!

Peconic River Herb Farm

While driving on the Eastern end of
Long Island, we stopped at the herb
farm which is 14 acres of a photographer's
or painter's "paradise" full of colorful
flowers and old cottages like you see
here.

Remember When ?

The reference picture was from a
small collection of Vintage hats that
was displayed in an Upstate
New York Boutique. I love hats,
especially floppy ones. Didn't you
love to see the old movies where
the Ladies wore hats all the time?
Ahh, those were the days...!

Tuscan Hidden Garden

The reference picture was given to me by
a friend, who requested a pastel painting
of Tuscany. Tuscany is full of hills,
mountains and beautiful courtyards. I
especially love the old stone walkways
and archways leading into those magical
gardens.

We "Brake" for Barns

I wish I could tell you what it is, but
whenever I see a barn during our
trips, I immediately feel the need to
take a picture. This wasn't your
traditional barn, but something about
the shadowing and color drew me in to
this North Carolina barn.

BATHTIME

Thank you all for your beautiful
sympathy messages . It's been a
very sad month for me, but I need
to get started on my paintings like
Dad would have wanted. This is my
niece, Alani, after washing her hair.
This was painted with pastel on
suede paper.

ADIOS MI PAPI

After having a stroke, my Dad passed away early Sat. morning. He was an incredible gentleman
and I will miss him terribly. I posted this
watercolor that my Dad painted a few months
ago. He was so proud of it as well as I and I
needed to share this with all my blogger
friends.

Jessica

I had the pleasure of painting this model
during a portrait workshop with Master
Pastelist Dan Slapo. I've known this young
lady since she was born 12 years ago and
enjoyed portraying her as the beautiful
young woman she has become.

Somewhere in Tennessee

This is another wonderful barn from
Tennessee. I love these old beautiful
buildings which are so full of character.

HYPNOTIC ENCHANTRESS

Recently at an Upstate N.Y. Church Wedding,
I heard the beautiful sound of the cello. The
sound from this instrument was almost hypnotic
and as beautiful as the girl that was playing it.

Tuscan Dawn

One of many interesting
narrow streets in
Tuscany, Italy which
always caught my eye,
with its typical old
lanterns and beautiful
flowers that cascade
from the windows.

PAPI

My Dad who will be 99 in March waits by the window for
the bus to pick him up and take him to spend the day at
the senior center. Of course, this was a great time to grab
my camera.

Oceanside, New York

This is my latest commissioned house painting. The homeowner requested the house be painted in Black and White with only the flag and flowers in color.

Peconic, Long Island Vineyard

Passing through Peconic we noticed a vineyard with lots of grapes...all different in color. I stopped to take a photo for this painting and of course, I had to taste some of their wines. The Merlot was excellent! Don't forget to serve that Dry Rose' next week since it goes very well with Turkey. "Happy Thanksgiving" to all my friends.