What are the implications of using letterforms as subject matter in painting? Can an image be created that enhances the meaning of the words? Is legibility important? Do the letters have to become words? I've been at this for over 30 years so you'll see a wide variety of subject matter and approaches in this work. These are the questions I think about when beginning a painting that includes words. Some of these have been abstract, others illustrative. All of them, however, explore the relationship between WORD & IMAGE.

Although not all of these paintings include letterforms, there is a narrative to my work, a story behind the image. Some of these are oil or acrylic on canvas or board, but most of the recent ones are watercolor and gouache. Many of these paintings are in private and public collections, but others may be for sale. Please contact me about exhibits or purchases.

 

Painting First Steps
This large painting, 48x30", is a study of my daughter's tiny shoes, size 3, that she had when she was little.
Painting Century Women's Blues
Song titles by women blues singers, with a few lyrics incorporated in the log cabin quilt design.
Painting Bleeding Hearts
Bleeding hearts are an irresistible flower in the spring
Painting Lilies of the Valley
Three Views of Lilies of the Valley
Painting Wolfe Quilt
A wonderful quotation from Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward Angel was the starting point for this paper quilt, made from various papers on which I wrote out the text numerous times, then cut them up and sewed them together.
Painting Goes to the Spirea
Spider plant leaps from the garden in the fall, and a friend can make my heart leap in the same way.
Painting Cosmos 3 views
Flowers change, even as we paint them. Here we see the back, the buds and a side view
Painting Montana Vanity Plate
1985, 36x24" F. Edward Catich was a Montana native who determined that the Roman inscriptions were designed by a sign painter. I figured it he had a Montana vanity plate, he wouldn't want the typeface provided by the DMV.
Painting Delta Blues
The Delta Blues of Robert Johnson, a painted quilt with his song titles arranged in the border.
Painting Peony
Zooming in on a peony
Painting Apple Blossom
Bring on the honeybees, this is their view of an apple blossom.
Painting Ode to Margritte
René Magritte did a series of paintings with illustrations labeled with words. Only one is correct!
Painting Arrow Klee
A text by Paul Klee with arrows
Painting Lin Yutang
A beautiful bowl, a simple draped cloth, and a bit of text.