Blog — Happiness

My Bearie Blvd. Bears® paintings begin with pencil sketches. Then I apply the paint. It's always fun to watch the characters develop. With Francine I see a sweetness and innocence; she's approachable and kind. While painting Francine my thoughts were about loving the people around me. Do I really see them? Do I take the time to know them? Am...

I'm a big pancake fan! I love to cook them, and I love to eat them. One day when I was flipping channels I came across a Hallmark movie that caught my attention. We learned that the lead character absolutely loved pancakes. I sat there and a smile crossed my face. That moment inspired me to paint my dear Wilbur,...

Why commission a portrait? We love our families and pets. Portraits celebrate them! And, it's a lot of fun. They make wonderful gifts. This portrait of Bentley was a commission I received last year. It was a Christmas gift for Bentley's owners in Florida. I work with graphite and charcoal, and I specialize in head and shoulders portraits. It's a...

I'm learning to listen. I mean really listen to what people are telling me. There's always something to learn about the person even if you've heard the story before. My Dad loved to spend time in his garden. It was one of his greatest pleasures. He knew how to grow just about anything, and he had a gift to share...

It's always a lot of fun to sit down and starting painting. Before I do that I spend some time thinking about the design and composition by drawing a few rough sketches. When I like what I see, I begin to imagine all the possible color combinations. I love to look back through the pictures to see how the painting...