Jasper Waterfall Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

I completed this painting on location in Jasper, Arkansas on the Little Buffalo River. At the time I was leading a group of artists on a painting excursion in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. The area around Jasper is exquisite with rugged mountainous terrain and the Buffalo River, the only National River in America, running through the countryside. High bluffs and elk are common in this area. On this particular trip we had to change a flat tire in the middle of nowhere in the rain! You just never know what adventure might happen when you are out painting!

Bethesda Bales Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

I have a good friend who occasionally travels with me and keeps me company while I paint. On this particular fall day we had pulled over in a hay field for a tailgate picnic and I decided to paint the surrounding landscape. While we were there the owner of the field stopped by to make sure we were not deer hunters and told us about the little log structure in the background. Many years ago it was his grandfather’s blacksmith shop. I like the bright colors in this painting and several people have said it reminds them of Van Gogh’s work.

Buffalo City Bluffs Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 24"

I painted this at the “town” of Buffalo City while on a painting excursion with six other artist friends of mine. I put “town” in quotes, because there really isn’t anything there, certainly no city in sight as the name might imply. The highway dead ends at a boat launch area on the Buffalo River near where the Buffalo and White Rivers join together. Before I did this painting I did a smaller, horizontal version of the same bluffs. The first one was too tight and controlled. I like the looseness and spontaneity of this one, especially the mist that really was rising up off of the river.

Monday Morning Original Watercolor Painting 30" x 22"

I painted this from a photograph I took in Calico Rock, Arkansas. I have always loved the sight of laundry on the clothesline, and for many years preferred drying my clothes outside. This house is actually white, but I accidentally did my under painting a little too vividly and had to abandon by plans to have a white house in my painting. With a little planning, I was able to make a convincing log cabin out of my mistake. I have always liked this painting simply because of the genuine feeling of the Arkansas Ozarks it evokes.

Destin Duo Original Watercolor Painting 12" x 16"

These palm trees are right outside the kitchen window of a condominium in Destin, Florida. I drew them from inside and then worked on the painting while sitting on the beach. What a pleasure to combine two of my favorite things, sitting on a beach and painting.

Calico Bluffs Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

This painting was completed on the porch of the house depicted in my painting Calico Cottage in Calico Rock, Arkansas. These are the rocks that give the town its name. There is a railroad track just behind the trees at the bottom of the painting. While on this painting excursion I stayed with several artist friends in one of the little cabins visible in the upper left of the painting. I have painted bluffs many times, but probably never quite as well as in this painting. I was also pleased with the reflections of the trees in the water. This scene is easily identifiable as Calico Rock to those who have been there.

Calico Farm Original Watercolor Painting

This pastoral landscape complete with a winding ribbon of road and a miniature tractor can be seen from the top of the multicolored bluffs that give the town of Calico Rock, Arkansas, its name. I stayed in a log cabin on these bluffs with two artist friends and enjoyed several days of painting in and around Calico Rock. This was the view from the backyard of the cabin.

Perfect Picnic Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

This rock is an ideal spot for a picnic, and has been used for such on one of my painting road trips. The river in the background makes for an idyllic setting. I like the peaceful feel this painting has with all the green and blue colors.

Acapulco Palms Original Watercolor Painting 16" x 12"

At a beach I visited in Acapulco, I expected to enjoy painting an ocean scene, but instead found myself drawn to this interesting composition of buildings with the native palm trees towering above and the rugged mountain terrain in the background. I did the drawing on location, but then my group was ready to go. I kept the drawing for about a year before I finally got around to painting it, using a photograph as a reference tool. I don’t know what kind of palm trees these are, but they have a striking yellow branch that supports all the smaller green fronds.

Rusty Roof Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

I painted this house from under the shade of a large tree in its yard in Evening Shade, Arkansas. The house is striking in its unusual shape and must have been a sight to see in its prime. I found the old rusty tin roof to be its best feature now. It is near the baseball field on one of the back roads that goes to Sidney, Arkansas from Evening Shade, Arkansas.

Fertile Farm Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 12"

This farm scene is a few miles outside of Ash Flat, Arkansas. This view actually shows the backs of the buildings of a farm that is still in active production. I found this scene while out driving along dirt roads in the area of Arkansas where I live. The peacefulness amid the productivity of the scene appealed to me. What a blessing it must be to work amid such beautiful scenery.

3rd and School Original Watercolor Painting 12" x 9"

This ramshackle old house is located at the corner of 3rd and School Streets in Hardy, Arkansas not far from my house. I had been intending to do a painting of it for awhile, and then one day I noticed a sign from a construction company in the yard. I figured the house was about to be torn down, so I immediately painted this picture before it was too late. Now the sign is gone, and the house is still standing, but at least I got the painting done!

Baxter County Homestead Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 24"

This original watercolor was painted while on a painting excursion with several artist friends. We had all tromped around this old abandoned homestead house just off of Highway 26 on the way to Buffalo City and taken many photographs and several of us actually set up and painted this house from a closer vantage point than shown in my painting. That particular day I painted Wanda’s Collectibles, a nearby antique store, during the day and then that night I painted this scene from both my memory and by looking at the more close-up paintings my friends had completed of the house.

Zion Barn Original Watercolor Painting 16" x 12"

I painted this barn and tractor from the side of the road in Zion, Arkansas, one of those tiny quaint towns one only sees while traveling the back roads. I especially like this particular combination of bright colors. The barn was mostly gray in reality, but the tractor really was red. I remember being fascinated by the way the wind rippled through the tall grass and wondering how to paint that in watercolors.

Long Gone Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 12"

I used my “artistic license” and rearranged the elements of this painting to create a more pleasing composition for this rural Arkansas scene. This little log cabin whose inhabitants are long gone can be found just off of the highway between Saddle and Mammoth Spring, but in reality the cabin is on the other side of the dirt road.

Rocky Foundation Original Watercolor Painting 16" x 12"

This old abandoned homestead is on a dirt road not too far from Ash Flat, Arkansas. I had to trample down a patch of weeds to make a place for my folding chair and painting gear in order to paint. I was looking through a barbed-wire fence while I painted this on location.

Powhattan Courthouse Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

This historic structure was built in 1888 when Powhattan was more thriving than it is today. It can be found in a State Park near Black Rock, Arkansas on the Black River. I did the drawing for this on location, which took awhile because of the detail involved. I completed the painting in the studio using photographs.

Calico Cottage Original Watercolor Painting 12" x 16"

This is another watercolor that was painted on location in Calico Rock, Arkansas. Calico Rock is a fascinating little town on the White River with a historic downtown district and literally something worth painting everywhere I look. This white house looked so cozy and inviting sitting on the banks of the river in the midst of a farm, that I felt drawn to paint it from the opposite bank.

Papoose Park Original Watercolor Painting 22" x 30"

I started this watercolor on location in Cherokee Village, Arkansas at a park near my home in Hardy where my children love to play. I finished it later from a photograph. When I first moved to the area there had been a heavy rain the day before, and because this waterfall is actually a spillway from an area lake, it was really flowing rapidly and was quite striking the first time I saw it. My kids love to climb up the falls, as well as play in the creek below. Often we go home much wetter than when we arrived after playing here! (This painting is mounted on mat board and must be shipped in a large flat box, not a mailing tube)

Copperhead Falls Original Watercolor Painting 30" x 22"

I’m sure this waterfall has another name. I call it Copperhead Falls because a copperhead snake surprised me when I climbed down an embankment to wade out in the stream and take the photograph from which I painted this. This waterfall is located on a dirt road on the way to the Richland Creek Campground in the Richland Creek Wilderness Area in the Ozark National Forest. The closest town, Jasper, is at least thirty minutes away. A truly beautiful spot.

Rio Vista Falls Original Watercolor Painting 16" x 12"

This scene is right in my neighborhood in Hardy, Arkansas on the Spring River. I paddled my kayak upstream to this site which can be seen from the Highway 67 Bridge. I “parked” my kayak on the side of the river by maneuvering the nose up on a step to a dock, and proceeded to sketch and then paint. The wonderful thing about painting watercolors from a kayak is the water for washing out paintbrushes is right there surrounding the boat!

Sweet Sugar Loaf Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

This rock formation juts out of the top of a mountain just outside Heber Springs, Arkansas and is a very striking and memorable landmark. I painted this watercolor of Sugar Loaf just before I had one of my first one-person art shows in Heber Springs because I was certain someone would want to purchase a painting of a local landmark. It turned out that I was wrong and so I learned a lesson. I should paint what I like, what strikes me and appeals to me, not what I think will sell.

Eureka Springs Garden Original Watercolor Painting 30" x 22"

I always admired this garden when I lived in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I have no gardening experience and little desire to garden myself, but I always admire the results others are able to achieve. This terraced garden in front of a beautiful historical log cabin on the Business Loop of Highway 23 through the heart of Eureka Springs is truly a sight to behold.

Wahpeton Wellhouse Original Watercolor Painting 16" x 12"

In Hardy, Arkansas where I live there is a section of town up on a bluff overlooking the Spring River called Wahpeton, which is an old Indian name meaning “home among the leaves.” In the late 1800s and early 1900s people from Memphis started coming to Hardy to spend the summer and escape the heat of the Delta. Typically the women and children would come stay in these “wigwam” cottages and the men would come over on the train for the weekends. This painting depicts the well house which is now a small cabin with living quarters and a nice screened in porch. The open courtyard seen in the painting used to be the site of several tennis courts.

Flat Iron Flats Original Watercolor Painting 22" x 30"

This is a classic Eureka Springs, Arkansas scene of two historic buildings. The arch through which the viewer looks is part of the Basin Park Hotel, known for each of its many floors being ground level because it is built into a hillside. The building seen through the arch is called Flat Iron Flats and is a well-known landmark as it is odd shaped and the road goes uphill on one side of it and downhill on the other.

War Eagle Outhouse Original Watercolor Painting 15" x 22"

This little outhouse can be found at War Eagle Mill in northwest Arkansas. It is perched on the hillside rather precariously. I would not like to have found my way out to it in the middle of the night!

Spring Mill Original Watercolor Painting 12" x 16"

This beautiful old mill is located just north of Batesville, Arkansas where I grew up. I painted this on location with a group of artists who get together to paint in Batesville on most Fridays. On the other side of the building the words “Spring Mill” are painted in large black letters, but I chose to sit uphill on this side of the building in order to capture a more unique view. I like the colors and patterns evident in the pool of water. This was a working mill when I was growing up.

Gently Down The Stream Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 24"

I have a good friend who is also an artist and used to be my high school art teacher. She has known me a long time and we enjoy painting together. One day we decided to paint from the same photograph just for the sheer heck of it. It was a photograph she had taken and had two copies of. We worked across the table from each other and it is amazing how differently we painted the same subject. This is my version.

Cotter Cattle Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 24"

On one of my road trips with fellow artists we stopped in Cotter, Arkansas in the north-central part of the state and stayed in a fishing cabin on the White River. The next morning we all set up to paint on location and I painted this scene of the cattle that were grazing in the landscape across the river from us.

Little Buffalo Bluffs Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

This watercolor was painted on location in Jasper, Arkansas in the heart of the Ozark Mountains on the Little Buffalo River. I was out traveling the roads of Arkansas with three of my artist friends and we stopped here to paint. I have exaggerated some of the colors in the bluffs, but the water really was a pure, clear aqua color as shown.

Jasper Bluffs Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

Arkansas is blessed with many beautiful bluffs and rock formations, especially along its rivers. I love to see the variations in color that seem to drip down vertically toward the water on river bluffs. These just seem to lend themselves well to being depicted in dripping watercolors. I exaggerated the colors I saw on these bluffs along the Little Buffalo in Jasper, Arkansas.

Kentucky Tobacco Barn Original Watercolor Painting 30" x 22"

Growing up in Arkansas, I was unaccustomed to the different architectural style of most barns in Kentucky. They are much taller and have narrow windows down the entire length. I soon found out that these barns are used for drying and storing tobacco. The large leafed tobacco plants are cut and tied to stakes which are then hung upside down from the ceilings of these barns. The windows are left open, I assume, for air to circulate and speed the drying process. Also many of these barns are painted dark in color, something you don’t usually see in Arkansas.

Revolutionary War Barn Original Watercolor Painting 17" x 13"

When I lived in Kentucky for four years, during which time my husband attended seminary and we had two baby girls, we used to go out to a farm and pick blueberries every year around the fourth of July. On this same farm there were also blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, and pumpkins. This particular barn can also be found on that farm. It was pointed out to us as being built around the time of the Revolutionary War, which struck me as unusual. In Arkansas we don’t think about things being quite that old, but our country got its start on the east coast and moved westward and Arkansas is further west than Kentucky.

Acapulco Pelicans Original Watercolor Painting 16" x 12"

While in Mexico I visited the harbor area of downtown Acapulco and painted this scene. I sat on the back end of a moored boat in the hot sun and carefully drew these boats and the background pelicans in pencil. About the time I finished drawing a pelican landed on the boat closest to me as if he wanted to be included in my painting. I was happy to oblige and he sat still just long enough for me to do so.

Acapulco Sunrise Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 24"

In the winter of 2003 I was very fortunate to get to paint in Acapulco, Mexico for more than two weeks. The villa I stayed in had a fabulous view overlooking a bay. One morning I got up early and took all my painting gear down to the patio by the pool and painted this breathtaking pink sunrise. The rocks seen in this painting are actually quite large and right in front of them beneath the water is a Catholic religious shrine, which can be seen from the numerous glass bottom boats which tour the area.

Victorian Porch Original Watercolor Painting 18" x 24"

Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a quaint little town full of Victorian houses and a booming historic downtown. I had the opportunity of living there for one year back when I was a high school art teacher. I took many, many photographs during that year. This is a painting I did later from one of those photos.

Arkansas River Bluffs Original Watercolor Painting 24" x 18"

This view can be seen from the banks of the Arkansas River in Little Rock, looking toward North Little Rock across the river. I painted it on location during a watercolor workshop. It was cold fall day and I wished I had brought gloves!