Chocolate Cappuccino Dome

Il duomo. Only this one is mocha and not attached to a cathedral. I like the little cup on top, of this one, not the one in Florence. Waking up in a pensione and looking down the narrow street at the real Dome, there's a treat. One that spelled excitement, adventure and new explorations. My first cup of cappuccino came in Italy from one of those huge copper machines. It was frothed and sprinkled with cinnamon. We were in the Italian alps skiing. So you may always perceive a bit of a smile when cappuccino and I meet. Dome or no dome, Il mi piaci tanto.

Stars and Berries Tart

Fresh and simple yet a celebration on its own. Many things to be thankful for, freedom is one of them. This project of small paintings in oil, is a new found freedom and pursuit of a larger one. John Scott calls it moving between languages in the studio, working in multi media. Being able to express no matter what materials are at hand. Some ideas take steel, others a whisper of ink, still others, a printing press. Some may just take a few berries artfully arranged on a day we celebrate forming a free country. Coaxing light and color into an idea, the freedom to do that endlessly in many forms, that's something worth celebrating too.

Harlequin Cheesecake,Berries, Kiwi

I love lots of little nibbles of flavor. Balancing flavors, colors or form presents more interest to me. I get to travel all around my palette. Harlequin traditionally dresses in a patchwork of color, oddly matched and completely whole as a character. It's again a call and response which sets up all kinds of possibilites. So here's to the chef who likes a little chocolate along with the cheesecake and puts a little patchwork of fruit right on top. And here's to possibilites. That keeps my brush endlessly happy.

Chocolate Truffle Cake w/Hazelnut

No frills. A cylinder of deep chocolate. But rich? Oh yes.The flavor in this truffle couldn't have been better. I think this piece will spawn a Bauhaus study in restrained richness, geometric shapes of flavor. Princess cut cakes are upright triangular slices. A Napolean is a stacked rectangle. And there are tons of domes out there. Architect or pastry maker? Both. Engineering and ingenuity supporting fantasy. The hunt is on for more. Something restrained yet bursting with flavor barely contained. And for balance, maybe something Roccoco. Ahh, endless exploration. My brushes can't wait.

Chocolate Praline Cheesecake

Dripping Springs. It's a little town in the Hill Country on the way to Fredericksburg. Dripping wet, dripping with praline sauce. Is dripping with something too much? Or enough to relish and play in? You probably know my take on that one. Dig in. It's all about carpe diem, isn't it? That little town's name still brings a smile to my face. Light danced, birds sang. It was fun just to read the signs and imagine getting mail addressed to myself, at Dripping Springs, Texas. Explore any map and there are equally intriguing town names. I always wonder who decided, who picked the name and why. But on this day, I decided to just let the brush play and relish in the glorious qualities of dripping paint.

Cheesecake with Blueberries and Peach

Succulent glazed fresh berries and a peach sit atop a creamy cheesecake with crust. This was a dream to eat. Each component enhanced the other. Happy, happy mouth. We were watching Giade de Laurentis on Capri, a Food network show, this past weekend.She has such enthusiasm. Everything we saw, was fresh, colorful and full of an incredible essence of magic. That happens when all the senses are attuned, engaged, and receptive. Everything is more. The scents, sounds, looks and tastes made us itch to be there, taste that, see this, do more...so it is with this little piece that I comtemplate an island paradise and urge my brush to go there with me. Perhaps it it possible to create a glimpse of paradise in small things around us each day. Today, when I dip into Naples yellow and add a little cobalt violet next to it, it can be the world of color for me. The light I use can be a little light reflecting off the water, and the freshness of drawing new form can remind me of endless new explorations.

Sticky bun

This painting is about abundance. And a bit of joy. It is a simple, but huge cinnamon sticky bun. I was reminded of how full it feels to connect with one's work and passion. How lovely it is to feel the paint, tickle sensibilities and remove just a bit of the care of the past couple of years. Normal little things make up a life. My wish is for those things not to be taken for granted. So enjoy all the little things in life.A splatter of yellow, a touch of lavendar, fullnesss of warms and cools and neutrals, lightness and dark. Sometimes a little bun rich in flavor is all it takes to remind me of friends and places and little blessings all around. So I would like to pass it on. A little joy, a little paint, a little gratitude.