Artwork

Selected moments captured by me during International  Cycling Tours by "live streaming" the event. This includes Amgen Tour of California, Tour de France, Vuelta Espana, and Tour de Swisse.

Painting wine through the years stems from not only enjoying a glass of wine, but having learned about the wine industry from extended family members. My husband made a limited quantity of wines from blueberries and combined it with Merlot, and other wine juice concentrates.

We visited wineries, tasting rooms, and wine caves on our various trips in the US and Europe.  St. Emilion is my favorite region to visit in France and I hope to go back again to visit more of the underground caves and walk in the vineyards.

It isn't a wonder that others enjoy it as much as I do. Visiting the wine caves where the air is filled with wine being distilled and the dampness of the caves themselves lends itself to the mysteries of how the grapes can be converted into such a beautiful colorful beverage to smell and taste its ingredients.  

We are fortunate to live near the Pacific Ocean so our trips to the beach for work or vacation provide us with many inspiring memories and photographing opportunities to paint when I'm back in the studio.

My grandmother lived on the Southern Oregon Coast at Bandon and she told us "there is never a day where it isn't nice enough to take a walk on the beach." So it is no wonder why I love to paint anything related to ocean, its creatures, landscapes, fishing boats, and people having fun.

I know many of you have had similar experiences and I hope that some of my paintings bring back memories similar to mine. I am grateful to be able to share with you so many of my experiences.  Is there a painting in particular that you found memorable?

From our world travels and my background in interior design. I am always excited to paint architectural details. It is why I choose to paint realistically most of the time. It is a hard habit to "unlearn" all the rules of design when painting.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to travel in recent years. The hustle and bustle of cities, the different smells from the foods being cooked in indoor/outdoor restaurants, and hearing different languages has my camera capturing people and images at each turn. Not always welcomed I might add. 

A new fascination with the doors in these European countries has resulted into a nice body of works. I got to peak behind a couple of doors in Bayonne where the Nadal ancestors lived in the time when Napoleon was marching through the area. Have you been to any country where your ancestors lived and the buildings are still standing and being occupied with people doing similar trades?  I am awestruck with these findings and so I hope that comes through in my doors.

Painting in Nature I see abstract scenes but also realism. My inspiration often comes from outings where you can enjoy the beauty and the scents in Nature which create positive feelings and fond memories . 

It is my hope that your memories come racing back when you view my paintings.

My journey in creating abstract paintings began when I went out in Nature observing the abstracted designs created on the land and in the water. I get my inspiration and excitement to return to my studio to paint from the photos I take.

I hope that you will see how many different subjects can be painted realistically and be considered abstract. The next time you are outside on a walk or boating I'm positive you will see similar designs in Nature like I have which are abstract and you will want something to remember how it made you feel.

The "Animal" Kingdom encompasses all lifeforms and I'm excited to paint any one of them when I can encounter them in person or in videos. My favorite theme is from our family travels capturing African Wildlife, Mountain Gorillas, Birds and Insects in their environment.

I look forward each year to the Dragonflies and Butterflies visiting my backyard as well as side trips seeing farm animals. Peacocks used to roam the Zoo grounds and seeing them in flight in Southern California peaked my interest in their beauty and characteristics. 

I can't leave out my interest in painting normal people doing normal activities that catch my eye and reminds me of some experience in my past. Do you see some similar animals and people that bring a forgotten memory to the moment when you view my paintings?  I would be grateful if you share your memories with me some time.