Brush Strokes

"Irish Farm"
oil on canvas board
8"x11"

My mother loved Ireland and her heritage there. She took a photo of this lonely farm building on the hillsides of some forgotten town. It hung on the hallway to her bedroom for many years. I knew is was important to her. Its calm and old-world charm resonated with my melancholy spirit.

This was my first oil painting.

"Dry Boathouse in Tahoe"
oil on canvas board
12"x16"

Living in Northern California for 3 decades, Tahoe was a yearly trek for me. The lake is majestic, but a few dry years threatened its waterline and left it sad & painful. I came across this Boathouse and could not help but feel for its forgotten history and present uselessness.

I realized that these sort of images both saddened but empowered me to capture that feeling.