"Cottage Blue and White"

7.75 x 7.75 inches

oil on panel

Blue and white ceramics always catch my attention. I have wanted to paint this grouping for a long time. On this evening’s visit I really liked the deep shadows cast by the near by lamp so much, I painted them. Great fun! 

Click image to enlarge. 

Note: The painting's colors may be much richer that they appear on your monitor.

"A Cozy Corner"

8 x 6 inches

oil on wooden panel

Another painting from Normandy Cottage. I have wanted to paint this spot ever since my first visit years ago. This space, with its simple shapes, warm colors, light and shadows, is so appealing. It always captures my attention and I find the atmosphere delightful. 

Note: The colors are very rich but may appear more subtle on your monitor. Click images to enlarge.

Painting the World

I was at the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society shop recently. The globe I painted for their production of Princes Ida had been taken out of storage and was sitting in the rehearsal hall. It was such fun to see it again, I thought I would share it with you.

The land masses are patterned after the 1616-1622 map covering a small table globe I was asked to use as a model. Most of the words are also from the little model. The illustrations are a mix of the old map and my own creations.

The globe is made of many layers of kraft paper pasted over an exercise ball. When dry, a wooden disk was added to the North and South Pole, holes drilled, metal pins added so the ball could be held within its wooden rim. Acrylic house paint was added and the globe was ready for decoration.

Click images to enlarge.

I drew in chalk first, just to be sure I wouldn’t run out of space for land or end up with an extremely huge ocean. Then I drew more carefully with a brown laundry marker and added the little illustrations and all the words.

Next I colored the inside edges of the land masses and illustrations with water based paint, and finally the rest of the land mass color was added.

The base is solid wood with carved styrofoam added to the legs, which were then covered with cheese cloth for extra protection. The base was also painted with acrylic house paint. I added the zodiac to the top of the stand.

When all of the illustration was finished, Nathan Roda, the set designer, turned the base into ‘old oak’ and added an oil sepia wash over all the illustration to complete this ‘antique.’

Click here to see more set painting for the Seattle G&S Society.

"Normandy Fireside"

8 x 6 inches

oil on wooden panel

Normandy Fireside is the second painting from an evening with friends. Every time I glanced at the table, I wanted to paint those rich colors and wonderful shapes I found in both the objects and their reflections. Great fun to paint! 

Note: The colors in the painting are very rich. They may appear more subtle on your monitor.

"Normandy Cottage"

8 x 6 inches

oil on wooden panel

On the Eighth Day of Christmas we spent a delightful evening with friends. This lamp and the light it cast on objects near by, were enchanting. Sometimes I just want to paint those moments! This is the first from that evening (there will be more!) and also my first painting in the New Year!

Click on image to enlarge.

Edward B. Gordon's "Leitmotiv"

Another one of Edward B. Gordon’s blog paintings has just traveled half way around the world to arrive at my door! “Leitmotiv” was the 730th posting on his blog. Edward lives in Berlin, Germany. He began posting a painting a day in November 2006. I enjoy his work and this little painting instantly became another one of my favorites. 

You can find notes and a sketch for this painting by clicking on the green words below. You will need to scroll down to November 16, 2008.

The Season of Joy!

click any image to enlarge

past Christmas Trees

from some of my sketchbooks

I have been looking through some of my old sketchbooks today, one of the things I enjoy at the end of the year. Our family traditions center around Christmas in December. We have had thick fir trees and open spaced alpine fir trees. Each has its own magical feeling. The decorations are always the same, things collected over the years. These sketches are from trees in the 1980s.

          However you celebrate the season, 

I wish you great blessings, peace and joy.

"Silent Swirl"

8 x 6 inches

oil on wooden panel

It snowed again last night and more today. The snow flakes so small and falling so softly, they managed to pile up on our wind swirls. I have never seen that happen before, so that's what I had to paint today . . . sitting in the house with hot tea! 

Click on image to enlarge.

"Snow Day: Reading Room"

7.75 x 7.75 inches

oil on panel

Today it is snowing again, beautiful flakes softly falling everywhere. Fresh white rests in all the trees, brightening every room in the house. This looked like the best spot to paint today. In the evening we will have a fire again, something we all seem to love in northwest rain and snow.

"Along The Path"

6 x 8 inches

oil on wooden panel

More sun today . . . and a little less snow. It is still enchanting around our house. The weather report is for more snow tonight. You never know - maybe yes - maybe no.

"Winter Dress"

8 x 6 inches

oil on wooden panel

Our first snowfall! I love the snow. Everything seems so peaceful, so still. This afternoon the sky was blue and bits of sunlight fell through the trees, making diagonal lines of brilliance across the garden. Magical! 

"Snowflake Lane"

6 x 8 inches

oil on wooden panel

This little painting was designed to capture the experience of an evening visit to Snowflake Lane. Snowflake Lane has become an annual event in downtown Bellevue, complete with drummers and “snow.” Each evening the drummers gather in one of the town buildings and, at the precise moment, march across the sky bridge and soon reappear on the sidewalk below. They drum their way along the sidewalk until they each come to a round platform, where they climb the steps and stand with the wooden drummer boy already there (shown on right). Snow flakes fall, music blares and the crowd loves it! Once again you know the Christmas Season has begun. 

Click image to enlarge and see color more like the painting.

Howard/Mandville Gallery's 18th Annual Invitational Small Works Show

6 x 8 inches

oil on wooden panel

"Liquid Sunshine" and "Setting Up Shop" join my last post in Howard/Mandville Gallery's 18th Annual Invitational Small Works Show in Kirkland, Washington. The exhibition features almost 200 paintings 11 x 14 or smaller by the gallery's impressive roster of artists plus invited guest artists.  The exhibition is now up for viewing in the gallery and on line. 

I will be at the Reception & Sale on Saturday, November 22nd from 5:30-8 p.m. Stop by and say hello if you are in the area. 

To see the list of artists, images of their paintings and more information, click here.

"Frye Cafe"

14 x 10 inches

oil on panel

The sunlight and shadows on Seattle's Frye Museum Cafe diners, the trees and building wall were simply wonderful! I just stood there a moment to enjoy the view. I knew I had to paint them. This is the second in the series. The first, “Lunch at the Frye” won an award earlier this year. It was posted on May 21, 2008.

Click on images to enlarge and see color more like the painting.

This painting will be in Howard/Mandville Gallery’s 18th Annual Invitational Small Works Show. "Liquid Sunshine" (posted April 24) and "Setting Up Shop" (posted February 15) are also in this exhibition. Preview Days: November 13-22nd  

I will attend the Reception & Sale: Saturday, November 22nd 5:30-8pm  Please stop by if you are in the area. 

"Along Ley Road"

9 x 12

oil on panel

Several weeks ago I spent a day in the mountains painting with friends. The day was perfect with a slight breeze, great light and, of course, good company. This is my afternoon painting.

"Rustler"

8 x 6 inches

oil on wooden panel

Another visit to Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle, another bright day. As I walked along the north pier, this is the spot that caught my eye. I loved Rustler's dark reflection in the water surrounded by such bright light. The photo below is my easel, my daughter Kara with her painting gear, "Rustler" and "Earnest."

Kara Webberley Moore

"Brenna"

7 x 10 inches

oil on wooden panel

I went to Fishermen’s Terminal in Seattle this morning to paint. So many wonderful subjects there! The weather was perfect - sunlight shimmering on the water, light breeze, very pleasant. Two painters were already at work when I arrived so I stopped to visit. They had been here the day before and so enjoyed the experience that they were back again . . . I think the same thing is going to happen for me! 

Next time I will pack my Titanium White. Used Ice Blue instead today and mixed it into almost everything - because it was the lightest color I had with me. The proportions of my subject in are a bit strange, color too, but the day was so wonderful I am posting my painting anyway. 

"Dressing Room: 15 Minutes to Curtain"

8 x 6 inches

oil on wooden panel

I love the way the mirrors capture the atmosphere of the theater dressing room. This is Caitlin Ross preparing for a Saturday evening performance of the Mikado. The rich colors in this painting may not show on your monitor.

Color Notes

I use Safari as my browser program. Earlier this week I opened this site in Firefox and was shocked to see the difference. Firefox does not display color in the same way. Opening this site in both programs and displaying them together on my monitor, the difference was shocking! 

I realize that different monitors will display the colors differently, but when the same monitor is used to show the same site, opened to the same image so both visible side by side, one opened in Safari - the other opened in Firefox, the difference in color was astounding.

When using Safari, clicking to enlarge the image gives color very much like the actual painting (on my monitor) while the smaller images on this site seem very pale in comparison. However, in Firefox the color does not improve. In fact it looks even more washed out when clicked to enlarge. Rich, warm colors do not show up at all and the image looks slightly our of focus. Same for Internet Explorer. I would be interested to know if any of you have found the same to be true when viewing your paintings.

"Sweet Lips"

8 x 6

oil on wooden panel

These maidens are getting ready for the stage - making sweet lips for the Mikado. This little painting was so much fun, I may use it as reference for a larger painting.

Click image to enlarge and see the brighter color of the actual painting.