Golden Girl

Golden Girl 20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas NFS

Not done in a day, this painting was part of a gallery show. It's all about the sunlight, the golden glow of this golden girl. She was a delight to paint, but the glint of light on the cup and the highlights on the hands were special treats.

Mary McBride

Mary McBride 10 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

It's a great source of pride to me that I have eight historical portraits permanently installed in the town hall of Gravenhurst, the small Muskoka town where I now live.  Among them is this painting of Mary McBride (1880-1965). She looks a bit stern here, but was apparently much-beloved by her students. Born in Muskoka, Mary taught for 50 years, beginning in 1899 and continuing until her retirement in 1948.

Gravenhurst's first schoolhouse was built in 1864. It was a one-room log building and its seventeen students sat on rough wooden planks.  The young women who taught in such schools were pioneers indeed.

James McCabe

James McCabe 20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

This is a historical portrait now residing in the Town Hall of of Gravenhurst, where I now live. It is one of eight portraits that I painted using only small old black and white photos as my reference. James McCabe is believed to be the very first settler in what is now the Town of Gravenhurst,Muskoka, Ontario. For a time, in fact, the town was named McCabe's Landing.

Charles Mickle Sr.

Charles Mickle Sr.  20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

A commissioned oil portrait done from an old black and white photo. This distinguished gentleman was an ancestor of the client's family. A great face to paint.

Slipper Bath

Slipper Bath 20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

I love doing these paintings of classic nudes that evoke an earlier time. Fortunately, my wonderful model can adopt a marvelous vintage look. 

Shannon

Shannon 20 x 16 oil on canvas board  NFS

This oil painting of a lovely, fresh-faced young woman began as a demonstration and ended as a finished portrait.

Lyn

Lyn 20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

This is a portrait commission done in oil. With her striking hair and warm skintones, she made a vibrant subject. I particularly liked the way the sunlight caressed the side of her face.

Re-enactor

Re-enactor  20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

This is a portrait of a local history buff and U.S.Civil War re-enactor, who would actually ride his horse daily through town, dressed in either Union blue or Confederate grey. Definitely one of our town's more colorful characters, he often surprised townsfolk and tourists alike when he rode through the McDonalds "drive thru."

A. P. Cockburn

A. P. Cockburn 20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

This blog is primarily a chronical of my daily paintings, but I thought I'd occasionally include a larger work.

Alexander Peter Cockburn (1837-1905) is one of a group of eight portraits that I painted from small, grainy, black and white archival photos. The paintings depict individuals who shaped the early history of Gravenhurst -- the Muskoka town my husband and I moved to several years ago -- and I'm very proud to have these portraits permanently installed in the town hall.

A.P. Cockburn founded the Muskoka Lakes Navigation Company. His steamships opened the entire region to the settlers, lumbermen, sportsmen -- and ultimately to the tourists who remain vital to its present-day economy.