I'm enjoying letting the inside peak out, creating portraits which speak volumes in a quiet, discreet way. Letting scraps of words, imagery, maps and musical notes breathe out from within one's portrayal. An assemblage of life's journeys, foibles and dreams, rising to the surface. Please stop in and visit my studio this Saturday, March 14, 10a-5p when I'm part of the mini studio tour featuring artists in Arbolada and Meiners Oaks.

On view at Integrity Wealth in Ojai through April 24, this exhibition brings together landscape drawings rooted in Ojai and selected works from my Dreamscape series. Together, they reflect two ways I move through place — direct observation and slow excavation — both shaped by the land that surrounds us. The drawings are grounded in observation. Many are based in and around Ojai — places I return to repeatedly because they continue to shift, subtly, with light, season, and memory. The Dreamscape paintings move in a different direction. They are less about a specific site and more about the felt experience of terrain — erosion, atmosphere, distance, and time. Supporting the Land That Shapes the Work Integrity Wealth does not take a commission on artwork sales. Because of that generosity, a portion of each sale from this exhibition — 20% — will be contributed to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. I’ve chosen to extend that same commitment to my studio practice as a whole: 20% of all original artwork sold directly through my website also supports the Conservancy. As a plein air and landscape artist — and simply as someone who loves being outdoors — I’m deeply aware that the places I paint are not guaranteed. They exist because people protect them. One place especially close to me is La Cañada Larga Road. There was a time when development felt imminent there. I remember hearing that and feeling physically unsettled — the thought that this open stretch of land, this quiet geometry of road cutting through hills, might disappear. That I might not be able to stand there again and look out across that space. The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy raised the funds to purchase and preserve it. Now, as with so many protected landscapes, the need is ongoing — stewardship, maintenance, care. Preservation isn’t a single act. It’s a long-term promise. If my work is rooted in landscape, it feels only right that the work also gives back to it. Additional Exhibitions I’ll also have work included in the Member Show at Studio Channel Islands Art Center, on view March 7 – March 20, with an opening reception at 4:00 pm on Saturday, March 7 at the Blackboard Gallery in Camarillo. And I’m part of a curated group of present and past Artists in Residence at SCIART, now featured on the Artsy platform. The collection highlights regional artists exploring a range of mediums and approaches, expanding visibility beyond our immediate area. Closing Thoughts When I think about this season of work — drawings made from walking the edges of Ojai, paintings built slowly in the studio, conversations happening in galleries and offices — it all comes back to one thing: attention. Attention to place. Attention to memory. Attention to what could be lost — and what can still be protected. La Cañada Larga Road is more than a subject to me. It’s a reminder that landscapes are not permanent unless we choose to care for them. The fact that it remains open — that I can return again and again to draw it — is not accidental. It’s because people acted. The work currently hangs in a space devoted to planning for the future. In a small way, this is my version of that — reinvesting in the land that shapes the work. If you’ve ever felt relief stepping into open land… If you’ve ever had a place you hoped would still be there tomorrow… Then you understand why this matters to me. I hope you’ll stop by before April 24.

After a super great studio tour last fall in my new studio, I was invited to collaborate on a new gallery in town with Lulu Sherman, Stephanie Hubbard, and Jojo Anderson. We set up Still Gallery, had a beautiful show for four months and decided to move the gallery online. stillgalleryojai.com February and March I will be at Taft gardens and nature preserve for my residency. The studio I am working out of is a dream come true. I am surrounded by a canopy of oaks and endless plants and succulents. I hear birds, frogs, crickets, squirrels and the creeks. It’s seriously a magical place. I highly recommend visiting. (And then you can visit me) And the show at Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is still up for a bit longer, so go check that out. And some other things going on which I’ll share soon!

I went to Karen K Lewis's studio last year ( huge fan) and saw a painting she did of pumkins and gourds. I stared at it and realized that I have all of this mottled and rippled glass at home. I asked her permission to do a mosiac of the piece, and she kindly agreed. Well it has taken almost a year and finally I have finished it. It is 2x3 feet and I love it. It is chunky, ripply, mottled, and vibrant! Thanks Karen!

My last blog shared our family alienation crisis that began last June. These last 8 months have begun an exploration of health challenges and finding new ways to help me express what I'm personally going through. Not all my artworks are about beauty and peace. Though my intent is to find peace amidst my health and emotional challenges. On that blog it was using a photo of my grand daughter and creating a reduction wood carving and letterpress printing class with Linda Taylor. I then shared turning photos of my grandchildren into 3D models that I printed on my 3D printer. Not all prints are successful. In the gallery of images you can see one of the failed prints. I saved it as a model of when life shows up in ways that can't be controlled. In my last class with Linda, the prints has a registration misalignment that one of my friends said was a perfect example of what your family is going through. The 3D print failure I have in the gallery similarly expresses that. I needed help with my health and my helplessness, so I asked my health insurance for support and I began working with a therapist. I haven't felt the need for therapist help for 3+decades, and I really took a turn as 2026 began, as my life boat was filling with water. I wondered with worry if my life would end and the family alienation would continue. As a peace builder, I was needing support and with the helping hand of this therapist, I'm doing much better as I use art, and my life experience to help heal myself, and my family. I have lived by this creed, Art Heals Lives. I drew the image of "Tsunami of Grief and Loss" and that was really helpful. I also felt that this image might resonate with others going through similar emotions, with what is going on here in the US and other parts of the world. My therapist asked me how I see myself in a couple of years. I said that I will be of great support for those that are going through what I am navigating now, and I can be of help and support for them. I was then invited to take a still life painting class with master painter Carlos Grasso. "Moment of Solace" was the result of that class time. With the intense concentration in representing what was the still life model, it helped keep me in the present moment and release my emotions from the past and future. Though this was my first painting experience, I could see the value of this being a mindful practice. Not about making art for sale, but making art for healing. After another therapy session examining and inquiry of my Tsunami drawing, the questions arose about "What's Next". The images that came up were about my lifeboat sinking, and I might not live to see my grandchildren again. I created the image of my "Heartache". This was a photo montage created in Photoshop. This helped me release much of my emotional sorrow, and once it was visually expressed, it no longer weighed heavily on my heart. Next I imagined a still life model with my granddaughter for Carlos' next class. I've included the model, but I didn't take a process photo. Will see how well I can express this model in future classes, or maybe I go back to painting vegetable and fruits. I've left town for a few days to retreat and break free from my dailies. I'm hopeful that I can explore artistically, what's in my heart and what's next for me. I will have a display of these images and models for the Second Saturday mini tour March 14th from 10-5pm, just a month away. Thanks for reading my blog, and I hope to see you next month at my Mini Tour. If you don't get to see a map, usually posted on the OSA Website a few days before the mini tour.

I've painted people going about their daily lives all over the world. I've rarely painted at home in Ojai before. Our beautiful town attracts people from all over so I decided to pass the day watching people enjoying Ojai's Libbey park and arcade. So nearby and such a treasure.

It's almost Valentine's Day, when love is in the air and red heart balloons are filled and ready to float aloft. This year, while my love life is still full and bright and shiny, the state of our country doesn't seem so. This painting of a red heart balloon, stuck mid-air, semi-deflated, speaks quietly to the times. 8" x 11" oil on paper, framed.