Sunrise Drive

 Oil on Cradled Board    8x10

This was a view most mornings on my way to work. It was one of the highlights of the day. I loved the warm colors of the building, as the sun was rising, and the unique architecture. This is a small suburban area outside of Chicago. The downtown has kept some of it's old days character. Starbucks and Panera have moved in, but there is still some small town charm left. I originally painted this digitally, but it meant so much to me that I recreated it here as an oil painting. It's the simple scenes of life that seem to stick in our memories.

City Crows

 Oil on Cradled Board  6x6     SOLD

Two crows survey the city in the early morning light. I recently read that some crows have memorized the routes of garbage trucks in their territories so they might follow behind and collect any edible scraps. Always observant crows adapt to their environments and have used this information to survive successfully.

Blue Jay "Rosie"

Acrylic on Canvas  6x6    SOLD

 A Blue Jay who loved roses.

Budgie Blue Boy

 Oil on Cradled Board   5x5

A tiny little parrot that packs the punch of a much larger bird. Ranked in the top three for talking ability. It is not true that only the males can talk.They are intelligent, friendly, interesting, bold and cheeky, easier to care for and less messy than a larger parrot.

Clever Crow

 Gouache on Paper 5x7    SOLD

Crows are not only clever, they are among the smartest of the avian species. While some seem to detest these birds and think they are mean, many more love them. I have met so many crow admirers who share stories about these special birds with me, sometimes at art shows, or because of the book I wrote, "Caw of the Wild." I like to imagine this one is looking skyward watching for hawks in attempt to keep his family safe from their surprise attack. Crows often bravely harass these bigger birds and escort them out of the area. This painting includes a white mat to fit a standard 5x7 frame.

African Grey Parrot

Oil on Cradled Board   6x6

African Grey Parrots are considered one of the smartest birds in the world. They have the ability to talk, sometimes even with an understanding of the meaning of words they say. My bird spends most of the day asking for various foods by name. Most of the time dwelling on the ones I tell him I do not have. He succeeds in putting a mental grocery list in my head, only to reject and throw the food on the ground when I finally buy it for him. It's his idea of a joke, and I fall for it every time.

 

The Sweetest Cookie

Gouache on Paper  4x5

Cookie expects to be paid for all her good deeds. Not barking at the mailman…two cookies. Not unraveling the toilet paper roll…one cookie. Looking pleadingly…one cookie. No one can resist Cookie. In fact if you buy this painting…she gets a cookie.

 

Millie the Speedbump

 Watercolor on Paper   4x5

Millie considers herself a service dog. She keeps her family from rushing around and getting all stressed by laying in the middle of the action and slowing them down like a furry speed bump. Such a valuable service is not always appreciated! Nevertheless she persists.

Jake the Scholar

 Watercolor on Paper  4x5

Jake is a serious student, and smarter than most. He graduated puppy class and then went on to earn his canine good citizen top of his class. Today he is a therapy dog brightening the days of senior citizens in his home town. Never a slouch he received highest AKC honors of THDX…therapy dog excellent! His alphabet soup of titles to his family spells L O V E. And that he is.

Bernie the Lovable Pest

 Gouache on Paper  4x5

Bennie weighs over 85 pounds and doesn’t understand why guests to his home run the other way or brace themselves in their chair when they see him coming. He is sweet enough, but with a head like a bowling ball he is not exactly the lap dog he thinks he is.  His family thinks he is amazing for the way he can shovel the snow from sidewalks when looking for his favorite lost ball.

Stan the Gossip

 Gouache on Paper   4x5

This is Stan. Some say he likes to gossip, but he thinks of it as a public service. He keeps his ear flapping in the wind in search of a news bomb. Then he passes the important info to his canine buddies with his flapping tongue. Everyone in the neighborhood should know where the squirrels are hiding!

Not Scared of Heights

Oil on Canvas 8x10

 A bear stands a top his lookout point surveying his vast kingdom.

Endangered Mexican Grey Wolf

 Oil on Cradled Board  8x10     SOLD

This painting is from a photo I took of a Mexican Gray Wolf. I have known this wolf for several years. He lives in a zoological park where he is part of a breeding program as these wolves are endangered in the wild. On this particular day there was a snow storm, and I was literally one of a handful of souls who braved the weather. I will never forget the feeling of being alone with these wolves. There wasn't another human anywhere near, and the only sound was the squeaking of my boots on the snow, and the flakes as they hit my hooded jacket.