The blue shoe diary is the first of a three part series.  It was my first shoe that I made to become stationary.  It has an organic look, almost lace-like, on the toe box that has become my favorite part of the piece.

The red shoe is the second of a three part shoe series, all watercolor.  All shoes are made from a similar template and each is a study in finishing a 3 part series.  The first shoe is blue and the third is sea foam green.

Acrylic is my favorite medium for painting.  This flowerpot was sitting in the window sill of my designer studio and I couldn’t resist but to pick up a brush and capture the morning colors.  The original was bigger, but trimmed to fit 8.5″ x 11″.

Kapalua is such a beautiful beach.  The photograph of this day from which the painting was rendered was very calm.  The sun was out with a storm looming off in the horizon.  This is a copy of the original, loosing some of its’ warmth, but still captures the mood of the moment.

Art Ladies assembled for this study on a beautiful afternoon.  The focus of this days lesson was shading.  I enjoyed using the yellow and blue together in a painting.  Highlights are a challenge for me, especially in watercolor, but it was still so much fun.

Pencil was my medium of choice in 1996.  This one one of the first pieces I did using it.  It was difficult to add shading past a certain depth, but I always love painting or sketching flowers.

1996 was the year I experimented with pencil.  I had just moved to Maui after college and it was easy to carry in my beach bag.  The day I sketched this I had biked to what was the old Wailea shopping village.  It had sprawling ocean views and beautiful trees.  This view is no longer there.  It has been replaced by a high-end shopping center.  Even though I was never a fan of pencil, I am glad I have this time capsule of a sketch.

The blue glass study was painted in a session of Art Ladies.  Our group was hosted at a $14 million dollar home in Makena on Maui.  The day wasn’t too hot, there was even a light breeze.  At the end of the session, we eat and share wine while discussing the challenges and rewards of the day.

Kanaha beach is notorious for its green and blue waters.  The white sand and shade makes a great spot to rest your pink surfboard.  My pink surfboard was made by Chris Vandervoort for me.  It was perfect for my weight, height and skill level.  Kanaha is fun for me to surf because even the paddle to the surf break is good exercise, whether I catch waves or not.

Maui Isthmus 1997 was my favorite painting I’ve done to date.  I spent the day, “en Plien air” and had a great time.  It drizzled sometimes but I didn’t mind.  It took me at least 8 hours to finish.  Sugar cane is no longer a crop for Maui, so this I guess could be considered a “vintage” view.