Bunny for Caleigh's Room

 

We have a sweet granddaughter who is not even a year old yet. It has been my custom to paint a picture for each of the grandchildren as they were born and joined our family. Caleigh lives in Massachusetts and has her own room with an elegant round crib, white furniture and walls painted in soft pastel blocks of color. Large Chinese lanterns in similar colors hang from the ceiling. This painting fits right in because it is light and whimsical.

Palm Springs CA

 

This is a very loose rendition of the scenery I absorbed when we visited this oasis in the desert. Surrounded by mountains, the valley is quite flat but scenic with lots of palms to catch the eye. We walked the San Andreas fault which is located on an Indian reservation. It's a narrow canyon with huge rocks towering high above. When we left, we had a long drive to the airport so I sat in the car and produced this hazy, abstracted memory of all I'd seen.

Watercolor $75 9x12
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Under the Sea

 

I've painted a few of these underwater scenes because they are fun to do. There's no need for precision because the hazey, watery look is what I'm after. The coral in the lower part is done using dark paint and sea salt. When the salt dries and is brushed off, a textured effect is the result. The starbursts created look much like the real thing. Some of the fish were added after the painting was finished by using stencils to wash off paint with a sea sponge. The srencil can be made using flexible plastic such as that found in a package of bacon. A Sea scene created with the help of Sea salt and a Sea sponge.

Watercolor 11 x 14 $85
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Mussel Man

 

My husband and I were staying in a town called Bandol on the south coast of France. A few miles away along the coast we found an attractive little town called Sanary Sur Mer. We were entranced by the sunshine, the delightful outdoor market and the narrow streets of the old town, all enhanced by the crashing surf of the Mediterranean. What a place! We sat down to eat al fresco at an appealing restaurant with bright yellow awnings and umbrellas. Bob ordered mussels and was grinning ear to ear when his dish was served. I couldn't resist taking a picture of his sheer delight. This is my painting of our experience.

Not for sale

Coconuts

 

We live in Florida, the land of palms. When you start looking, you realize that different varieties in shape, color, height and frond abound. My neighbor's trees had bunches of coconuts and being a shorter variety I was able to get good close-up photos. Using them as a reference I sketched, then painted this vibrant watercolor.

Watercolor 10x12 $150
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Mountain Haven

 

This painting was started as a way to show brand new watercolor students a wet-into-wet primary wash to do the underpainting of a sky, mountains and the land portion. For a long time it sat unfinished as I contemplated what to do and how to finish it. First I put in the lake, refined the mountains, then added the pine trees and finally it still seemed quite bare so I added a cabin. But no, it needed more so then the barn, fenced area and old pickup truck were painted in. Now it has a focal point which was the missing ingredient!

Watercolor 12x16 $200
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Mountain Lake

 

My sister Linda had a beautiful painting in her home. It had a haunting quality that appealed to me. took it off the wall and attempted to do a replica. I worked wet into wet because I wanted to try and get the misty, mysterious feel of it As the paper got saturated with more water and layers of paint it all started to run together and I feared it was a lost effort. I put it away, forgot about it and came across it the other day. It dried nicely it seems. A little more work and it was done. So never give up!

Penta

 

I often get requests from students for instruction on painting leaves, making them look realistic, have form and shape, interesting in color too. One week I purchased penta plants and we worked from the real thing. Sketching from a real plant makes you look carefully at shapes and when you paint, you study the colors. At first glance all you see is green but concentrating further makes you realize that there are bluish and yellowish shades on the leaves, darker and lighter greens too. My sister Linda, an excellent calligrapher, put in the lettering for me.

Lemon Arbor

 

Visiting Italy reminds one how much the Italians use lemons in their cooking, baking and beverages, the peel served with espresso or a small glass of Limoncello offered as a degustif after dinner. Coming home I found myself drawn to lemons, even buying several ceramic ones for my kitchen. I knew that lemons grow on trees but didn't realize that they can be trained over an arbor. This painting depicts a "lemony" entrance to a garden with a walk paved in brick. Smell the tangy citrus aroma? Mmmmmm.....

Watercolor 10x12 $125
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Hibiscus

 

I knew enough to name this flower in the title, else no one would know what it's supposed to be! It was painted in Norma De Santis's workshop, done very quickly and was very obviously the first time I painted a hibiscus. It's a large piece, outlined in black and very colorful. Interestingly enough I've received many compliments on it.

Mixed media 22x28 $300
contact sferina222@yahoo.com

Ibis Family

 

Once again I am drawn to a family scenario. In this case it is a trio of birds, obviously a father, mother and child.
Somehow this particular setup appeals to my inner self to the point where I feel a need to replicate it in paint. But aren't families the backbone of our society, of life itself? Indeed it is our only way to continue, to go on.

Watercolor 5x8 $50
email sferina222Ayahoo.com

Fiery Sunset

 

This was painted while I was sitting on the beach in Naples Florida at sunset. The air was mild, the water calm but the sky was almost on fire! This molten light reflected on the water and created a beautiful brilliance that was awesome to witness.

Watercolor 11x14 $110
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Mountain Pine

 

You've heard of plein aire painting? Well, this one was done plane air, on a jet plane as I crossed the US from Portland OR to Florida! I have this neat little watercolor paint set that is just perfect for painting in small spaces. It has a brush and a well for water so all I need is some H2O, a piece of paper and I'm ready to go. It helps the time pass quickly as you know anything creative can do.

Mom and Ducklings

 

It seems I'm drawn to images of families, particulary Moms and kids. Maybe it's because I recognize the maternal, protective feelings shown instinctively by all mothers, human and animal alike. They remind me of my days as a Mom herding my kids here and there and of course, always watching over them. They were good days and my own mother used to remind me that they fly by. How true!

Good Bye Gift

 

I was very sad to leave my friends on Long Island when we moved to Florida in 2002. As a parting gift for my friend of the heart, Judy, I gave her this painting. It's hanging in her home now and I was able to see this when I visited her a few years ago. It makes me feel honored when this happened. However, the best part is that we have kept in touch and continue to share our feelings.

The Mole Hole

 

Painting with a plein aire group brought me to Edenlawn Plantation, a collection of old cottages from the 1950's. This one was painted on site which is very uplifting. Being out in the fresh air, being part of nature, hearing the birds and insects, seeing the dappled sunlight and moving shadows combines to make a huge difference from painting at home. Speed is necessary as the shadows change as the day moves along.

Sold

Hydrangeas by the Sea

 

My childhood friend liked blue and hydrangeas too. This painting was done on a watercolor card and sent to her with a note. She liked it enough to have it matted and framed. It hangs in the family vacation home in Carmel. I was pleased and didn't expect her to do this. There is sadness attached now. She passed away over the summer...

For Jesse

 

This was painted almost 10 years ago for my grandson Jesse. The model for it was a rusty old toy. Jesse was just about 4 years old at the time and very much into tractors, back hoes and any kind of digger. If you asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he'd tell you a "heavy equipment driver". After I framed it I wrote him a letter, put it in an envelope and attached it to the back. My intent was to let him know later on when he's older that even if things get decrepit and rusty (aka 'us', his grandparents) they are still worthwhile!

Not for sale