My Secret Signature

When I was in first grade my teacher taught us how to draw animals using letters of the alphabet. I really only remember that we made a whale out the letter W ... and then there was the S-Duck. Since my name began with S, I quickly had a natural affinity to this letter.  Who knows, perhaps this is where my love for drawing birds also was birthed. I started drawing the S-Duck on every piece of paper I could get my hands on. I even drew it on sidewalks with chalk...and on a shirt sleeve...and maybe on a basement wall. (Not on a basement wall if my mom is reading this.)

The S-Ducky, which it affectionately became known as, needed scenery and a lovely, utopic world to live in. My drawings began to portray S-Ducky floating on top of blue ocean water filled with seaweed, clams, fish and rocks. The sky was always blue and the sun was shining. 

A bit embarrassing is the evolution of S-Ducky drawings after this point.  I'm not sure when I became so obsessed with love and marriage, but my six year old brain thought this must be the measure of pure bliss... so, of course Mr. S-Ducky met Mrs. S-Ducky and they expressed their love with marriage vows on the Sea of Love.

Years ago, when I was getting started down my professional painting path, my sister said I should put some sort of personalized signature on the back of my original paintings. She then said, "You need to put the S-Ducky!" We both laughed, and it definitely seemed fitting. For several years now, the S-Ducky has been my "secret signature" on the back of my paintings. So please know that if you own one of my paintings, you actually own two pieces of my art, and the S-Ducky is my love stamp.

Flight Of Imagination

Flight Of Imagination, 40 x 40, Sold

I was asked recently by the client who bought Flight of Imagination to provide any commentary on this painting that I could share with him. This ended up being a great opportunity to reflect on why I paint what I do and I thought it would also be nice to share with you.

The inspiration for the painting, Flight Of Imagination, came from my love of capturing the mystery and beauty of nature, and creating work that frees our minds from the ordinary. 

I have connected with animals since a young age and from my earliest memories, I have always used making art as my favorite form of self-expression. It is not surprising that as my artwork evolved, I began painting birds and nature.  

Birds to me have always been magical creatures that exist between the heavens and earth. I have spent a lot of time in nature and one of my favorite things to do is observe birds.  Their movement, social structures, physiology, and instincts are fascinating, especially observing these variations in different species. On a more spiritual level, they are symbols of freedom, inspiration, and transcendence. As someone who loves symbolism, it is interesting to read about the different kinds of birds and their meaning in different cultures.

In Flight Of Imagination, I patterned these birds after the swallow. Swallows are one of my favorite birds to watch, their movement is swift, fast and they can turn quickly.  Fighter jet wings were actually modeled after this type of bird wing. I took artistic license with the vivid red-orange coloring of these birds, creating a mood of energy and aliveness against the contrasting dreamy, blue backdrop. I can see the correlation between how a bird takes to flight effortlessly, and how our minds can drift, and in an instant we can be soaring with a new idea, eureka moment or beautiful daydream. 

Overall, my work reflects that in life the Divine is always present, connecting us to each other and everything in inexplicable ways. It is the thread that weaves the magic, joy, and peace into our lives. The reason I use a lot of circles in my work stems back to my love of symbolism. The circle is an unbroken line which has no beginning, no end and no direction. With these attributes, the circle represents a completeness which encompasses all space and time.  Symbolically, the circle depicts the unending, the unknowable, the un-measurable, the un-graspable and the indefinable. In other words, the circle is the symbol of Divinity.

Tree Sketches for a Commissioned Painting

Thumbnail sketches for a commission that I am working on. The client wants to have four large paintings of a tree that changes with the seasons to hang over their fire place. It will be a vertical 40 x 60. I will work a few of these into some colored renderings that give the client some ideas and choices for their paintings. It is good to clarify and narrow down what they envision for their home.

I typically do not work from sketches, but it is nice to come up with several concrete ideas. Perhaps a few of these will show up in some other paintings of mine. It is exciting for me to think of all the color possibilities with the same scene, and the same shaped tree, creating so many different paintings around one concept.

Inside My Art Studio

After moving in July, I have been working in my new studio. It has been freeing to be in a larger space that I can step far back and see my paintings at a distance. I am so grateful and working on making it my dream studio.

I am currently in the process of remodeling the space... my significant other doesn't care to hear my music through the paper thin/non insulated ceiling, and I can never seem to play my music loud enough:-) I am thankful that he is an architect and knows how to fix the situation. I also am having adequate lighting put in, painting the walls and putting in new flooring ... I am so excited, truly a kid at Christmas.

I have been working around the contractors, putting away all my supplies and bringing them out again when they are gone... it definitely is a minimalist working situation at the moment.