Through the Shutters

 

This painting is a demonstration piece for my watercolor class. I found it very engaging to be painting a view from inside to outside. It's like looking at something from the safety of your home, a very comfortable feeling. Some of my students were very new to the media and a bit intimidated by the apparent complexity of this piece. In the end they were quite pleased by the ease with which they were able to replicate it. I liked it so much I chose to do another with a tropical view through the shutters.

Watercolor 9x12 $155
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Gentle Ben

 

I usually ask my students what they would like to paint the following week. Sometimes I get a surprise, like when one student asked if we could do tigers! Somehow when I paint animals or birds they wind up with a personality and I have to give them a name. This big fellow looks quite meek and harmless and has an appealing look in his eyes, hence the name Gentle Ben.

Watercolor 9x12 $135
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Replica of John Singer Sargent's Cottage

 

If you ever want to look at an enchanting watercolor book, try the Watercolors of John Singer Sargent. I took it out of the library but found his work so captivating that I just had to buy it for myself. It's on order right now. My class painted this picture to learn about shadows. Aren't these shadows just so great? And what you're looking at is is my painting, a copy. His, the original, is absolutely amazing.

Watercolor 9x12 $120
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Rose Bright

 

This is not my compostion. I found it in a watercolor book and decided my class would enjoy the simple, straightforward way it is designed. It can be painted petal by petal until completed. The lesson was actually on 'backgrounds' which are always challenging. Do I paint the object first, or the background? That is a question I am asked over an over. The answer depends on the subject matter, how you feel that day and what you decide to do!

Watercolor 9x12 $175
email sferina222@yahoo.com

In Memory of Jean

 

This painting was originally done by Philip Steele and sent to me as a postcard. I decided it would be a good lesson in values for my class. One of my students was diagnosed with a brain tumor and given a short time to live. This happened very suddenly. Her name was Jean and she came to class that day to say good-bye to all of us. She sat next to me as I painted. When I demonstrated how to do lettering I got a sudden inspiration to put her name on the boat.
I have since given the painting to her son. We all miss her.
I recently learned that the painting is hanging on her son's boat. Seems just right.

Enjoying the Surf

 

Once again my painting is a demo that was done to show a technique to my students. In this case the object was to show how easy it is to depict people in the distance. It's merely a dot of paint for the head, a longer one for the body, then arms and lets. It helps to make your people have motion, it adds to the energy of the painting. This connects with the majesty of the ocean and gives a nice feeling to the work.

Watercolor 9x12 $115
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Lovely Lilacs

 

I still remember the first time I painted lilacs. They wound up looking like rockets flying up out of the vase! They need to be soft looking due to the multiple tiny flowers that compose each blossom. It's easy to overpaint and wind up with hard looking flowers. I'm happy with this version that was demonstrated for my watercolor class.

Watercolor $65 9x12
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Sea Turtle

 

Jensen Beach FL, where I live is well known as a spot where sea turtles lay their eggs. The turtles swim to shore, walk up the beach to dig holes to protect their young. When the eggs hatch the little turtles know enough to head immediately to the sea. Groups of people monitor this process and watch to see that electric light is shielded to ensure the proper growth of the hatchlings. It is very fitting that my watercolor class painted the symbol of our area.

Watercolor 9x12 $90
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Pineapolis

 

This was painted during my phase of using bubble wrap, saran, wax paper, foil etc to make imprints on paper. I've constantly worked to loosen up and be painterly about my watercolors. This is one way to create representational abstracts, meaning you can detect the images created and identify the subject matter. This painting is like a city of pineapples, like Minneapolis, Indianapolis..........

Sold

Leafy Reflections

 

A very simple painting, done to demonstrate watercolor techniques on how to paint glass. Realizing that you start with a flat, white piece of paper may make you understand that this is indeed challenging. Showing the stems of the foliage under water requires some distortion at the waterline to make them appear natural. Pay attention to the reflections on the glass because they help create the necessary transparency.

Watercolor 6x8 $65
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Swiss Alps, St. Moritz

 

On a trip to Switzerland we stayed in St. Moritz for a few days. It was early June but as we drove over a mountain pass to Gstaad we experienced a mini snow storm. Totally unexpected for the time of year! This view of the Alps was right outside our hotel window. I had purchased some hand-made brushes in Nice, France and wanted to try them out. The compostion is not the best but it is what was visible from our tiny balcony. These mountains are both imposing and formidable. I tried to capture the fearsome aspect of their immense height and the total dominance of the landscape.

Watercolor 22x30 $350
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Birdsong

 

Once again I am treating you to a painting done long ago when I first began to paint. I love little birds and enjoy watching them in action. They are so free and seem not to be concerned with a thing. Maybe this is attractive because us humans have lots of concerns and sometimes they are burdensome? Birds sing as dawn breaks and if we hear their joyful song, it can uplift us for the day.

Watercolor 7x10 $55
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Autumn Drama

 

Another unusual piece that started with pouring, layering and dripping art materials on paper. Inks, gels, acrylics & gesso are some of the things used to complete this composition. I think of it as "Halloween Flowers" because it's a bit scary and of course, the orange and black coloration. These abstracts take a lot of imagination to finish. Believe it or not!

Mixed Media 14x18 $250
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Fresh Fruit

 

This was painted about 10 years ago, when I first started taking lessons. I signed up for classes at the local Art League and learned techniques from an excellent artist, Steve Lampasona. Another new artist and I would get together at our homes and paint about once a month. We'd set up a still life, or drape scarves or work from magazine photos to give us inspiration or subject matter. I was pretty pleased with the peach in this composition of real fruit.

Not for sale

Cowboy Blues

 

This painting is a departure from my usual representational work. It's a mixed media piece created with inks, gels and acrylic paint. The start was sticky paper in various sizes placed randomly on the paper. Paint was added in harmonious colors. When dry the spaces were uncovered revealing unique patterns. I united the spaces with outlines of black paint. Looks like horseshoes and broken cowboy boots. No wonder the cowboy has the blues!

Mixed media 22x30 $400
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Alba Wine Region, Italy

 

When I saw this medieval manor house I had to take a photo, knowing I would be painting this scene. The Alba region of Northern Italy is very scenic. Roads in that area straddle the high ridges of the mountains. It is possible to see wide vistas of vineyards on both sides of the road, sweeping to the valley floor like an undulating green carpet. Amazing. Ancient walled cities sit on top of mountains, totally surrounded by the growing vines. The wines are delicious: Arneis (white) Barolo, Barberesco, Barbera (reds). Asti, a sparking variety, comes from this region too.

Watercolor 9x12 $99
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Keen

 

The word 'keen' always brings sharpness to my mind. Since this painting embodies pointed edges it seems like the best title. When I trim my garden plants I bring the leaves, twigs, flowers and rose hips to my studio desk. Using an imprinting technique I create bouquets of these cuttings, continuing until I see an integrated grouping. I then add a container to pull it all together. There is life and energy in the completed painting that I don't see in other works I do with a brush.

Watercolor 12x16 $195
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Magenta Lillies

 

One of my students asked to paint lilies during a watercolor classes. It is one of the harder flowers to replicate. This is my rendition of a bunch of these flowers. I chose magenta as the dominant color which pairs well with greens. Magenta is one of my favorite colors and is used in decorating my house. When I was a youngster I colored with the 'red violet' crayon until it became smaller than a nub. I would pair it with chartruse and turquoise when I colored in coloring books. Kind of a wild combination but one that appealed to me.

Watercolor 6x8 $40
Email sferina222@yahoo.com

Caleigh

 

This is my 11th grandchild, just a year old now. Caleigh is a sweet girl who is good-natured and happy. She talks all day long, baby talk of course but the happy kind with a smile on her face. The technique used to do this painting is called batik and it's done on rice paper. Hot melted wax is applied, layer by layer, until the whole paper is coated. In between watercolor paint is added until a satisfactory finish is achieved. The wax is then cracked off by crushing the paper. Black paint is aplied in an even coating. The excess is blotted with paper towels. The final step is to iron off the residual wax between layers of newspaper.

Not for sale

View From Ravello

 

I painted this while sitting on an ancient stone wall in Ravello, Italy, feet hanging, with a big drop beneath me. The view was just breathtaking. The village was clinging to the hillside, surrounded by stepped vineyards and a sweeping panorama of mountains. This area is along the Amalfi coast. A lesson had been booked for me and surprise, it was with Leo Kennedy, an Irish painter living there at the time. The good thing was that there was no language barrier. The rest of our group took a cooking lesson so we all ate scrumptious food together at the end of the day. Very special time.

Not for sale

Mrs. Cardinal

 

This Cardinal is a pair with the male, the red bird. It is very sweet to see these mates, together hunting for food, probably bringing it back to the nest for the babies. Their song is distinctive and once you recognize it there is no mistaking it. Nature provides the quieter coloring for the females and young giving them more safety by not being so noticeable. Even here in Florida we have Cardinals and being a small bird lover, it makes me happy to see them.

Not for sale

Cardinal

 

One day I asked my sister-in-law Patty what she would like me to paint for her. She said she thinks about her mother whenever she sees a cardinal outside the window and would enjoy a painting of one. The reason is because immediately following her mother's passing, a cardinal was pecking on window constantly like it was trying to get inside. This is my gift to her. She is a very loving person, one that I'm glad is in my life.

Not for sale

Life

 

This is one of the flinging water and paint creations. You never know what the result is going to be. That makes it intriguing to start one of these paintings. This one spoke to me right away but it needed some help toward finish. I washed out some paint using a magic sponge so I could add one large flower to be the focal point. When I downloaded the digital photo I chose the name "Life". I don't know why, perhaps because it is so lively?

Watercolor 10x14 $200
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Mountain Reflections

 

Painting reflections in still water is challenging. It generally is not quite a mirror image although it may seem that way at first glance. Depending how far the objects on land are from the water determines the size of their reflection in the water. For example a tall mountain's reflection will look shorter in the water if the mountain is further away on land. If that's not clear please just enjoy this painting!

Watercolor 10x13 $110
email sferina222@yahoo.com

Gracious Living

 

This watercolor was painted while we were driving from Eastern Washington state back to the Portland area. It's about a 3 hour drive and not very scenic until the Columbia River widens. Then it's the gorge area and absolutely magnificent. Using my tiny travel watercolor set and a cup of water, I was able to concentrate on creating this very small painting. It only measures about 5" by 6" but was the perfect size to fit on my lap as we traveled along. A really nice way to pass the time and feel accomplished.

Watercolor 5x6 $45
email sferina222@yahoo.com