After a trip to Hawaii with my sister, I began making a series based on two Hawaiian sisters; The younger one Pele, the goddess of Volcanoes and the older one Namake-O-Hai, the goddess of water.

They arrive together from Polynesia, in the care of their brother, the shark god. Pele, a young girl, tries to make a “toy” volcano on the beach.  Her sister, puts it out. Her sister always puts out Pele’s volcanoes. They fight, and their parents separate them, moving Pele inland to Kīlauea.

My series is about family dynamics; relationships between siblings, power and struggles over who knows best. Both sisters are becoming who they are destined to be.

All from imagination, not perception.

 

Pele in her volcano!

This has been a year of small paintings. How small can I get them and still have them be paintings? I wanted to try.

A study in the primaries: red, yellow and blue.

It started to rain, and everyone was hurrying to cover up and secure. I love the kind of light that comes just before a rain. I got wet, and finished in the car.

During the winter of 20-21, I made a number of paintings based on a set up with pineapples and baking equipment. Here we have pairs of pineapples.

Red House in Winter

Artist’s Note:  This is a view, done from my studio window. Snow is both positive and negative, and is difficult to paint because it is whiter than the white of the canvas. The only way to get the illusion of more whiteness is  to provide enough contrast. The two trees, the red house, and the pale distance provide that comparison.

 

 

From a series of window paintings done during the winter. Snow transforms everything in a magical way. I wanted the painting to look as "cold" as I was feeling.

I worked on this "almost nocturne" a long time, trying to simplify the house enough to emphasize the light behind.

One of my most favorite places. Pepin County, near Durand, WI

It's fall, the light is beautiful and the long road travels into the far distance.