To Chrystal Cave

oil on canvas, Triptych
3 Panels at 18” x 36” Although the path is difficult to spot, quartz outcroppings point the way to Crystal Cave. A climb part way down the rocky cliff overlooking Mount Hope Bay, reveals a small cave in the face of the rock. Only large enough for a small dog to fit, the crystals have been chiseled away to cherish as keep sakes.

First Snow

oil on canvas, 20" x 24" The first snow of the season has covered the shoreline in white. The three swans would blend in with the snow covered rocks along the waters edge, if it wasn’t for their orange beaks.

The Valley

oil on canvas, 30" x 24" A stream finds its way through a valley, with mountains towering above to either side. A little used road crosses the stream, and continues on, into the secluded world of the valley, closed off from the outside world.

Border Sheep

oil on canvas, 48" x 36" Sheep graze along the winding road traversing the rolling hills of the Borders Lowlands of Scotland. The mountains of the Highlands are in the distance. One sheep, less timid than the others, chews on a blade of grass and returns a stare.

Under a Big Coastal Sky

oil on canvas, 24" x 24" The sky is simply bigger at the coast. There is so much more of it, and the sky has a dominant impact our view. And the clouds, there is nothing like coastal clouds. While the focal point may be the catboat at anchor in a secluded estuary, it is the sky that claims the title for this painting.

The Road to Small Isles Bay

oil on canvas, 24" x 30" The lonely road and the landscape features all point to the bay. The ominous storm clouds are exaggerated to suggest movement and the passage of time. The were once close to 2,500 inhabitants on the island, with less than 200 remaining today. Their land was taken from them, and the islanders were forced to pay high rents, never having a chance to get ahead. The early emigrant ships sailed from Small Isles Bay, a protected bay on the eastern side of the island, encircled by an arch of small islands.

The World is a Winding Road

oil on canvas, 36" x 24" The Borders of Scotland is beautiful hiking country. The winding, hilly road reveals a new scene with every turn. The mountains of the Highlands are in the distance, and the sheep are always looking for greener pastures.

The Woods Are Lovely, Dark, & Deep

oil on canvas, 60" x 36" These woods reminded me of the Robert Frost poem, although this is a summer, not the winter scene of the poem. Cardinal flowers and ferns grow beneath the canopy of pines above, in the fertile soil along a stream. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.

The Long Road

oil on canvas, 48" x 36" A wooden post marked with black paint, indicates a little used passing place, along the single track road of the Isle of Jura, Scotland. The road extends from Feolin Ferry landing, at the southern tip of the island, to Barnhill and the Corryvreckan Whirlpool at the north. Barnhill is where George Orwell sought seclusion to write his novel, “1984”. He accurately described the Isle of Jura as “a most ungettable place.”

Tidal Island

oil on canvas, 28" x 22" A sandy road leads to a tidal island of cedars and a partially fenced grassy field. High tide bushes and marsh grass encroach from either side. Once home to a group of summer cottages, a hurricane long ago returned the land to nature. The bay brings moon tides and nor’easters to fill the marsh and saltwater pond, until the access road is under water, and an island is formed.

The Cedars

oil on canvas, 15" x 30" Is this a path? There is a break in the dense woods of cedars, with a little sky showing above, and a rocky clearing in the distance. This is the path, less taken. Where does it lead.

Sophie's Stream

oil on canvas, 24" x 30" This stream is midway along one of my golden retriever’s favorite walks. She can never resist a dip in the water. Our walk took place on an early morning before the fog hanging over the nearby bay had lifted. The fog created a peaceful scene of soft edges and blurred focus. Suddenly a break in the fog and clouds created a hard edged reflection of the trees in Sophie’s stream, while the fog still enveloped everything around us.

The New Deer Fence

SOLD
oil on canvas, 36" x 24" The 200 inhabitants of the Isle of Jura are greatly outnumbered by 5,000 deer, not to mention sheep, cattle, and pheasant. The villages are fenced to keep the deer out, with cattle grates or gates along the road. The aging deer fence has been replaced with a new fence and gate leaving the old one in place. Following Navaho tradition, I painted a “mistake” in the gate’s shadow, so as not to compete with God. Where does the path lead?

Misty Morning Walk

oil on canvas, 18" x 24" This slightly overgrown farm road has been a favorite of my three golden retrievers over the years. They will run ahead to find what lies around the bend in the road. There is a steam to stop for a dip in the water and to cool down. Rabbits occasionally hop across the road, inviting a chase. A field of hay can be seen in the distance, waiting to be explored. What more could a dog wish for.

The Woods

oil on canvas, 24" x 30" The older taller pines in the foreground have lost there lower branches, provided a view to younger pines in the distance. Light filters through the pines to the cardinal flowers and ferns along the stream bed. This painting was a study for a larger painting. I do not start out painting a smaller study for a larger painting, it just turns out this way. I finish a painting and think of what I could have done different, and become inspired to paint a larger version, making the changes.

Cindy's Stream

oil on canvas, 48" x 36" Cindy’s stream runs through the woods on a friend’s land in New Hampshire. One year, the beavers built a large dam and created a sizable pond. The moss covered boulders and stones have been smoothed and rounded by the rushing water. The trees present themselves as woods rather than as individual trees, taking on the form of a uniform mass.