Taco

A Border Collie.

She is a very friendly dog that always greets you with a smile! When she does her smiling, she looks very weird!

Commission Sold.

Chakras

The spine and the human energy field contain chakras, or energy centers, that vibrate at different frequencies. Each chakra presents us with the opportunity to establish a root relationship and to satisfy a deep soul desire. Each frequency holds the gift of a certain power, which enhances our human experience on Planet Earth. As we tune into this power, we are internally empowered to deal with the specific life challenges of that energy center or chakra and as a consequence to live more whole, meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Meditate with silence.

70x34 Cream matt, dark green frame, non glare glass.
For sale only in Mexico.

Buffalo Bean

A member of the pea family, it grows in grassland, hillsides, and patchy woodland areas to a height of about 30 cm, and produces bright yellow golden flowers about a centimeter long. The flowers were commonly used by the natives as a source of yellow dye

For sale Dark green frame, cream matt and non glare glass US$175

Shaggy a Maine Coon

This year when we moved to our new place in Mexico our neighbors and friends, who always bring their cat with them from Canada; this was my introduction to a Maine Coon cat, whose name is Shaggy.

The Maine Coon is a breed of domestic cat with a distinctive physical appearance. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically native to the state of Maine, where it is the official State Cat.

The ancestral origins of the Maine Coon are unknown. There are only theories and folk tales.
One such folk tale involves Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, who was executed in 1793. The story goes that before her death, Marie Antoinette attempted to escape from France with the help of Captain Samuel Clough. She loaded Clough's ship with her most prized possessions, including six of her favorite Turkish Angora cats. Although Marie Antoinette did not make it to the United States, her pets safely reached the shores of Wiscasset, Maine, where they mated with a Norwegian Forest Cat and evolved into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.

Another folk tale involves Captain Charles Coon, an English seafarer who kept long-haired cats aboard his ships. Whenever Coon's ship would anchor in the New England ports, the felines would exit the ship and mate with the local feral cat population. When long-haired kittens began appearing in the litters of the local cat population, they were referred to as one of "Coon's cats".

Shaggy has spent a lot of time with us, so like last year with Mickey we have, another ‘rent-a-cat’ with none of the responsibilities but all of the fun!

Sold

Passion Flower

Legend has it that in 1620 a Jesuit priest in Peru came across the plant we now know as passion flower.

The flowers are 7.6 cm (3 in.) in diameter, opening from flat oval buds and flowering from summer to early fall. The ten petals (actually five petals and five sepals) are usually white but may also be red or purple. In front of the petals are fine, colorful filaments that are purple at the base, white in the middle and blue at the tip.

The ancient Aztecs reportedly used passionflower as a sedative and pain reliever. Today herbalists also recommend it as a sedative and antispasmodic agent.

Passionflower has been used for anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, epilepsy, and other conditions of hyperactivity, as well as high blood pressure. Passionflower also is included in many pain formulas when discomfort is caused by muscle tension and emotional turmoil.

Charro Ricardo’s Victory Salute

The very essence of the Mexican experience is exemplified by the culture of the charro, or Mexican cowboy. It is a rich legacy of tradition and valor, of honor and custom, of war and peace.

Each competitor is dressed in the traditional suit (traje) of the charro. On his head, is the wide brim sombrero, which protects him from the sun and acts as a helmet. The brim, also serves a shock absorber, to shield the head and neck if the charro is thrown to the ground. The body fitting suit is more than vanity. It’s made that way, to insure there is no flapping cloth to be caught by the horns of steers. His chaps are the same. The botinas, or little boots he rides with, protect his feet from the stirrups. On his botinas, he has his spurs.

Cala de Caballo; (Horse reining) a charro gallops his horse the length of the lienzo, and slides to a stop. He then rapidly pivots the horse on each hind leg; for a minimum of three revolutions in both directions. Then he does two half turns, after which the Charro backs the horse down the lienzo. This was what a seller did to show a prospective buyer, how well his horse was trained.

Charreada is sometime called the national sport of Mexico, but it is more then that, it is a tradition. This is because the relationship between men and horses is an integral part of the Mexican psyche, as exhibited in their language. A gentleman in Mexico is called a caballero or horseman.

Ricardo has just won the Cala de Caballo and this is his acknowledgement to the crowd.
If you like Rodeo, you’ll love Charreada.

For sale 80x65cm Framed, matt and non glare glass. Contact Artist

The Bandit

Bandit-masked raccoons are a familiar sight just about everywhere, because they will eat just about anything. These ubiquitous mammals are found in forests, marshes, prairies, and even in cities.

An adaptable feeder, raccoons will eat almost anything—fish, mice, insects, stolen eggs, and human trash. Raccoons sometimes "wash" their food, rapidly dunking it in water before eating.

These ring-tailed animals are equally opportunistic when it comes to choosing a den site. They may inhabit a tree hole, fallen log, or a house's attic. Females have one to seven cubs in early summer. The young raccoons often spend the first two months or so of their lives high in a tree hole. Later, mother and children move to the ground when the cubs begin to explore on their own.

For sale Unframed 28.5cm x 38.5. Contact artist.

Hibiscus

Seeing the Hibiscus blooming outside our apartment made me draw this pretty blossom.
Little did I know that the Hibiscus which is part of the family Malvales, and the most important member of this family is cotton. Apparently several species of Hibiscus produce fibers. It is also a relative to Okra!

For sale $150 45x38 cm Black Frame, cream matt and non glare glass

Beach Vendors

Two beach vendors that I saw many years ago in Mazatlan. I saw a chance to do two separate pictures that could stand alone or be hung together.

For Sale
These are framed with a black matt, black frame and non glare glass. Each picture is US$150 each or US$275 for the two.

Unfinished Dance

I really wanted to do another dancing picture! However this is not one of my most successful attempts!

Firstly I wanted to do this on three sheets of paper as wanted to get into the details.
The pose I chose was not easy as the female dancer was a lot smaller than the male, which I thought was charming and interesting.

This picture is as far as I could take this pastel. It represents many hours of work.
I even attempted the faces a second time which was worse than this! So this is an unfinished picture. I eventually had to give up from pure frustration. Maybe at a later time I will try again, but I felt that I had to move on and feel good about something else!

Comments would be helpful!

Mexican Rooster

I spent a huge amount of time when we arrived in Mexico on our apartment as we were renting a new place.

My neighbor and friend who is also an artist from Toronto had just finished a Rooster when we arrived, which I really enjoyed. So I thought this was a good way to get back into the pastel world.

Somehow my imagined Rooster seemed to take on a character of its own. Where we are living is a very Mexican area and we have many roosters around but they don’t seem to stay still for very long!

Wondering why there are no posts lately?

Time has certainly got away on me. I am happily back in Mexico , but because we moved into a new place I have been very busy buying items for the new apartment and haven’t done any art in a while!

The apartment contains a lot of my art, especially items I am not trying to sell.
I am very hopeful that this busy part will change in the next week as eventually I will have the apartment in order and all I have to do now is sort out the cell phones!

I already have my next painting planned and I have just been commissioned to draw a pet. So I am anxious to put chalk to paper. Stay tuned….

Kelty

Kelty was a commission.
She is nine years old, really pretty and friendly dog.
As with most Collies she has a way of looking at you when she wants something.

Thank you so much for allowing me the pleasure of working on such a pretty dog.

Sold

The Honor Beat.

My fascination with the Jingle Dance continues. I have always enjoyed the fan that the dancers carry during this dance, especially on the honor beat, the dancer raises the fan to the sky in time with the drums. Even as I was drawing this I could hear the drum beats in my mind. So in this picture I have chosen to focus on the fan and show the details of the beading.

For sale: 42cm x 50cm backed with a matt ready for framing. US $175

Dancing Feet...hear the sound

The legend of the Jingle Dress and the Jingle Dance vary slightly from tribe to tribe. They all, however, have the same basis for the story: The dress was given to the People in a vision from Great Spirit for the purpose of healing.

The most noticeable part of the dress is not the dress itself but the hundreds of cone shaped Copenhagen snuff lids that adorn the dress in various shapes and patterns. The only way to describe the way they sound when they chime together is rain on a tin roof.

The dance is performed with hand on the hip to signify pain; the dancers raise the fan on the honor beat. I wanted to take a less traditional view of this dance.

For sale 42cm x 50cm backed with a matt ready for framing. US $175 SOLD

Shawl Dancer

Contrary to popular belief, this dance is not a traditional women’s style. It originated up North as a tourist and competition dance in the early 50’s and 60’s.For year’s women had struggled to find their place in the dance arena fighting conformity among other things. This was a revolutionary breakthrough for the younger women who longed for a more stylistic approach to traditional dance. Unlike the earlier styles of the 1900’s which were more calm and gentle, the Fancy Shawl Dance was a splash of color, fringe and butterfly wings, each step so quick and light that the young woman looks as though she is literally dancing on air.

The Northern Fancy Shawl Dance is said to imitate that of a butterfly, so the most important part of this dress is the individual's color scheme. The Northern lady does not wear knee boots but ankle moccasins and leggings that cover the legs. Next a yoke is worn around the neck. This can be beaded although it is not necessary (Appliqué or paint designs are appropriate). The main article in this clothing is the shawl. It should span the lady’s arms from fingertip to fingertip.

Because of the size of my painting I chose to just concentrate on the face. Though I looked at pictures for references. The designs are my choice, though many are traditional designs, the face is from my imagination.

I think I would like to do other details from this dance.

For sale 42cm x 50cm backed with a matt, ready for framing US $175

My Turn

Trying to get some art together for the gallery in Lethbridge, so tried for me something different. Comments?

For Sale 42cm x 50cm backed with matt but unframed. US$175

Catch the Sun

I always admire my artist friends acrylic paintings and their ability to show light. So this was my focus with my Chinese Lantern Flowers. Can I show the depth of light?
I often painted these lantern in the fall in watercolor, but never seemed to get what I wanted. With pastels of course I can get very close and detailed. But the focus was to show the light, did I succeed?

For sale. 42 x 50 cm Backed with a matt but not framed. US$175 SOLD

Schatzi

Schatzi is a cute dog with an engaging personality. I love the way she looked at me, so inquisitively as I took her photograph for her painting. I hope that I grasped that look in this painting.

If you like this painting I would be happy to paint your pet. For a quote please contact me, go to my profile and you will find a link to e mail me.

Sold

Sign of fall?

This month I have been working on a commission. Also a new coffee/art gallery opened in town, 'Zim's Place' and I have committed to having a display there whilst I am away in Mexico. Fortunately, I have an artist son-in-law, who has agreed to look after this space for me while I am away. So he will rotate the pictures that I have ready for the gallery.

But I finally managed to squeeze some time to do this wonderful sunflower. I want to paint some smaller pieces for the gallery.


For Sale 42 x50cm Backed and Matt but unframed US $175