Birds in Paradise

Date: 07/22/2012

Location: Private Residence, Kailua-Kona

Size: 36" x 48"

Medium: Oil on stretched canvas

Artist's Comments: In contrast to the soft pallet used in the first commission piece for Henderson Design Group, this painting needed to be vibrant with orange and lime green as the primary colors. While visiting a friends house in Kona, I noticed a grouping of beautiful Birds of Paradise. Their colors were so vibrant and I was intrigued with the various stages they bloomed.  Immediately I knew I had a subject for this project! At first thought, I planned to paint he blooms with cadmium orange yet after thoughtful study I realized that there were vibrant shades of golden yellow, orange and pink in the blossoms! In telling the story of these wild birds in paradise I tried to paint the blooms at various stages of their glory and from different angles. When you enjoy a flower arrangement containing Birds of Paradise, they are always selected in their prime and set in the arrangement to maximize their profile but, when growing in the wild they point in all directions so collectively they can all be viewed from any angle. 
To view other paintings in my collection, click on the section labeled "View all SitaScapes" located at the top right of my blog. I have categorized my paintings by the month as I complete them.

Welcoming Another Day

Date: 7/11/2012

Location: Kukio Palm Trees

Size: 3 panels 36" x 48" each

Medium: Oil on stretched canvas

Artist's Comments: Commission projects always push me to new heights in my painting career.  On a recent project, I had the pleasure to work again with Eric Henderson, Henderson Design Group, to create 3 custom paintings for two separate properties.  One home was finished with subdued tones of blues, greys and golds and Eric challenged me to use a softer pallet.  We decided to capture the tops of palm trees painted in the tones of a sunrise when all the colors are just awakening and haven't reached their full vibrancy yet.  In particular, the color green was not going to be used in the decor so, I needed to come up with a way to convey the sense of a palm tree without using green.  At first I was intimidated but as I developed the pallet and started placing paint on canvas, the colors seemed to flow from my brush. I actually enjoyed the challenge! By thinning the paint, I was able to achieve a nice transparency for the palm fronds as they greet each in turn the ever-returning sunrise. They remind me to greet each day for what it is; a chance for my true colors to shine!

To view other paintings in my collection, click on the section labeled "View all SitaScapes" located at the top right of my blog. I have categorized my paintings by the month as I complete them.

Sisters Dancing in the Breeze

"Mellow Yellow"

"Juicy Orange"

"Fabulous Fushia"

"Blue Steele"

Date: 07/04/2011

Size: 4 panels 30" x 30" each

Medium: Oil on stretched canvas

Artist's Comments: While working on a project to bring artwork into a property listed for sale, the owner wanted a more abstract type of painting where the focas was on color.  The panels would be hung on a large wall against a stairway.  We decided on capturing the top of a palm tree on each panel but augment each color to give personality and interst to each canvas. I didn't have a real plan on what colors each of the 4 panels would be but instead let my creativity and inspiration take over from the moment my paintbrush touched canvas. I had allot of fun developing each palm tree with its own personality using color and brushwork.  In addition to adjusting the tones of the leaves, I slightly adjusted the background color to further drive some interest to each painting so that it could have strength as a stand-alone piece.  Together in the collection, they really sing with each other ~ like a group of sisters dancing in the breeze.

To view other paintings in my collection, click on the section labeled "View all SitaScapes" located at the top right of my blog. I have categorized my paintings by the month as I complete them.

Exhibition at Island Naturals

Can't make it to Kailua-Kona for the show? Visit the exhibition online.  Click Here to view slideshow.

I would love to hear what you think!