Getting Ready to Celebrate

Getting ready to join family to celebrate the Christmas Holiday. I'm so looking forward to cooking together, catching up and remembering times past with laughter and gratitude.  Blessings to all of you, your friends and family.

Visit my new web site

Poinsettia Watercolour Collage / Gold leaf embellished

12" x 12"
Purchase Giclee here

Mark Making with Leaves

I have found that using leaves to make initial marks on paper or canvas  can be a magical process.  Over the years I have experimented with image making by using acrylic, watercolours and ink painted on to all kinds of leaves and then pressed to a surface. Sometimes the results are dynamic and detailed or the impression left can be lackluster requiring work on my part to be visually interesting.

I scrounge for leaves in the winter, and have wonderful friends who bring me bags of leaves from their gardens during the growing season.  I have found that freezing leaves allows me more play in the snowy winter months.  My husband says we have no meat in our freezer as it is full of leaves....and he loves me still :)

I have experimented with applying pressure to get the paint to release and merge on the paper; rolling with a brayer, applying a paper-towel over the leaf and pressing gently with my fingers to fully weighting down the leaves overnight.   

The pictures below show an application of watercolour to leaves that I picked from our family farm in WA recently.  In this project, I applied a solid surface weight (acrylic sheet over the leaf and then plywood on top) overnight to let the paint seep into the paper and do its magic.......

Grape Leaves 

Watercolour wash applied to the vein side of the leaf

Grape leaf imprinted onto 
Arches 140 Lb. paper

Grape leaf imprinted onto 
Arches  140 Lb.  paper

Sometimes I cut the individual leaves out and use them in collage, other times I work the background to complete the piece.

Members Salon

Bundle up and join me for the Opening Reception of the 2014 Members Salon, at the Hockaday Museum of Art this evening.  Enjoy a refreshment, and the many beautiful artworks from this talented group of member Artists. 
The Members Show can be seen through December 24th. 

Don't forget to Vote for your favorite piece!

Opening Reception
Thursday, November 12, 2014
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Admission: Free / Open to the Public

"Holding onto the Glory"

Watercolour Collage with Gold Leaf

22" x 30"

You can also see my work at: (Link)

Beckman's Fine Furnishings  / Kalispell
Copper Sun Gallery / BigFork
Glacier Sun Winery / Kalispell

Thank You All for a Great 2014 Studio Tour

It was a Gorgeous weekend for Open Studio. The sun was shining, people were out and about enjoying the weather and some of the most amazing art that the Flathead valley has to offer. I appreciate your support and  encouraging comments.....it was really fun to meet so many new folks and reconnect with others. 

Thanks so much. 

Short slide show of the weekend event.

Its a Family Affair

We're approaching that time of the year where Open Studio happens here in the Flathead Valley, MT. There is much to do. Framing, gluing, installing hanging hardware, gold leafing, application of UV sealer and not to forget a little house keeping. Oh and baking some treats and making  appetizer trays to offer throughout the weekend. My artist friend Shelle Lindholm calls it the "Cinderella process". It's all beautiful in the end.

My husband Don is an amazing helper in getting this event up and running. It is all fun, so much enjoyment in sharing my art, visiting with customers, neighbors and friends. 

There's lots of beautiful art showing in the valley this weekend, hope to see you!





The Hockaday Local Color Studio Tour  (Download map)
September 20-21, 2014
10am to 5pm

Open Studio is Almost Here

A long weekend of painting, finishing pieces for the Hockaday Local Color Studio Tour.  (Click for a map and event details) Several new leaf pieces to share and some new sizes too!....something for everyone. 

Close up detail.....new Open Studio piece.
30" x 22" Watercolour Collage

Hockaday Local Color Studio Tour
September 20-21, 2014
10AM to 5PM
Refreshments!

And so it begins....

I collected Cockle-bur or Burdock leaves from my Dads orchard in Cashmere WA.  These "weeds" are used to make initial marks on paper with watercolours. You never really know what will happen, what the magic of the watercolour will leave behind.  I call these pieces "starts".  I use the beautiful marks left by the veins on the leaves and develop them into a finished piece.

30" x 22" Watercolour on 140 Lb. Arches

Watercolours for the Copper Sun Gallery

I'm excited to be working with  the Copper Sun Gallery in Kalispell Mt. 
Three colourful  watercolours delivered this week. Stop in and meet Beverly and her husband Dave and see their beautiful Gallery, conveniently located at 3955 "A" Highway 35 in the Creston Center.

Special Recognition

I am honored to announce that my recent landscape; "August Sunset" was awarded Special Recognition from:

Light Space & Time Landscapes Art Competition
The Gallery received 587 entries from 18 countries.




























"August Sunset"
12" x 9" Acrylic

Honored to participate

I am honored to announce the selection of one of my paintings  to show at the upcoming event: 
Montana Artists: Innovators, Inventors and Entrepreneurs (MAP Exhibit) at the Hockaday Museum of Art.
Opening reception May 8, 5-pm

"A Walk at Tally Lake"

 Watercolour Collage 30" x 22"

Shelle's Garden

I've been digging through my freezer for leaves that I carefully vacuum packed and froze this past summer and fall.

My Artist friend Shelle Lindholm brings me big bags of leaves from her beautifully landscaped yard  to use in my paintings. Sometimes I go to her home to do the gathering and also get to enjoy coffee and kibitz about Art. 

I work with some of  the leaves while fresh and then freeze the rest for winter painting.  The leaves are used to make the initial marks on the paper with watercolour. I often add rice paper and really enjoy the movement of water and paint against the layers of paper and leaves.  

My favorite leaves have been chewed on by local garden bugs....they make very interesting marks. 

"Shelle's Garden"
Watercolour Collage
11" x 30"

Purple Tulips

Several years ago, a friend in CA brought me purple tulips ....then yesterday a friend who lives here in MT came to paint in my studio...we painted those purple tulips from years ago.

"Tulips....Concord"

24" x 18" Acrylic and Oil Pastel

Smoldering Violet

Our adult son, Mike, joined us at the Ranch in Cashmere WA for the Christmas Holiday.  While reminiscing, he reminded me of a summer visit to the Ranch many years ago, when the forest fires were so intense, producing a dense layer of smoke in the valley.  He recalls having to stay inside....no swimming or picking berry's. 
Inspiration, the arms of memories.

"Smoldering Violet"

24" x 18 Acrylic