A Break from Project

Although I am very much entrenched in the painting “Make a Joyful Noise,” I thought we’d take a break from that and I would post a few of my early pieces.

The following is my first project and my first portrait after enrolling in oil painting class. Not only did I surprise my instructor with this piece, I surprised myself as well – that I was able to accomplish this. This I titled, “Kumu Hula,” which means dance teacher. I was planning to show this in a local art exhibition; but when the painting was completed she looked so much like my sister who was deceased that I couldn’t show it, because I couldn’t sell it. It now hangs in her daughter’s studio who is a Kumu Hula. (oil on 18x24 stretched canvas.)



This portrait of my grandchildren was actually, as I look back, really an ambitious project for me to attempt at that level of skill, but I wanted the challenge. It is oil on 22x28 stretched canvas. I painted it as a Christmas gift for my son and his wife. If I remember right, I started this in July and finished it early December.


This piece I titled “Captive Audience.” It was taken from a photo I took of my three-year old granddaughter; all dressed up in her pink tutu and her pink “Hello Kitty” boots. It was late November and this was the outfit of her choice for that day and to top it all…she wanted to show her daddy, who happened to be outdoors doing a chore, how pretty she was. It was a cold afternoon, but we could not change her mind about going out in the cold in that outfit. Catching her in this pose was priceless. A picture just begging to be captured on canvas. I’ve changed her surroundings to be indoors dancing for her “babies,” thus “Captive Audience.” (oil on 20x24 stretched canvas.)