Bluebonnet study

Bluebonnet study - impressionistic interpretation
oil on canvas
8X8
completed 8/11/2010

A Rocky Pass

oil on canvas board
8 X 8
completed Jan 2011

Autumn Foliage

5X7 oil on canvas board

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Trees in general fascinate me. This was a quick study that I enjoyed doing. Actually, I'm reminded of the poem I wrote in high school during my junior year. It was selected for publications in Young America Sings an anthology of high school poetry - Fall of 1975 published by National Poetry Press. It was also featured in Songs of Youth published - Summer of 1976. published by American Poetry Press.

Autumn Leaves
As the wind whispers its dreams through the branches,
Leaves of chestnut brown and ruby red stir quietly.
Each floating peacefully down toward earth;
A paisley blanket for winter's sleep.

Dorothy Bethke (Harp)

a spot of reflective solitude

oil on canvas board
8 X 8

peaceful pastural scene

oil on canvas
8X10

tropic get away

oil on canvas board
5X 7

Mother & Daughter - Art in the Afternoon

Several years ago, my daughter and I took a class together with a group at our church. A small group of women gathered under the direction of an artistically gifted women who shared her love of art and teaching. As a group we all followed her step by step and at the end of the afternoon we each had a completed oil painting. The top painting is my daughters and the lower painting mine. The scene in the painting as I recall was from a lake or river in the Texas Hill Country. Gazing at the painting reminds me of the wonderful time the two of us spent together enjoying a commonly shared passion.

A stand of birch . . . .
8X10, oil on canvas board
completed 3/17/10

Springtime in Texas

9 X 12
oil on canvas board
completed 5/19/2010

Serenity on the Mediterranean

oil on canvas board

impressionistic garden scene

oil on canvas board
This painting became pretty impressionistic by the time I finished it.
It was a class project from a few years ago. The reference picture we used was from a water color painting. In the original the figure was that of a woman, I took the liberty to make mine a young girl.

up up and away

5X7 oil on canvas board

This was a quick study I did in two class sessions.

It was fun and enjoyable.

five orange fish

This is the painting I'd been working on in class, see previous post.
Finally finished it, I learned a great deal about the use of color glazes. This project taught me about layering color, somewhat of a watercolor technique utilizing oils. My eyes kept playing tricks on me while doing this one. What was under the water and what was above? To be honest it looks a lot better than what I'd anticipated, there were so many new techniques to master.
Details: oil, 8X10 on canvas board.

midwest rural scene

oil on canvas board
This was a class paint along project from a few years ago.

at painting class

check it out. . .

I'm working on a painting of orange carp (coy) fish swimming in a rock lined stream or pond. We are learning how to use glazes to build the color layer by layer.

majestic, yet tranquil landscape

oil on canvas board, 12 X 8

This is another class project, can't remember when I did this one. Might be a good idea to document that on the flip side for future reference. As I recall, I rather enjoyed doing this one it came together rather quickly, finished in two possibly three class periods.

Back to the beginning . . . . .

This was the first painting I ever did. It is in acrylic on a stretched canvas.

'testing the waters'

Several of my seascapes . . .

These are my seascapes thus far. I've given two of them away as gifts to family members. The two on the easels were gifts.