Pastel painting of the view from the Duke Marine Lab on Pivers Island

The sky and water were a hundred shades of blue as the light ricocheted off the constantly moving landscape.

Pastel painting of the view from the Coast Line Convention Center.

...the sky can change completely in just a few moments.

Original pastel painting of Bank's Channel overlooking Harbor Island, Wrightsville Beach, NC

...clouds kept popping up in the sky, growing and blowing across the landscape.

Beach Haven, Carolina Style

Pastel pleine-aire painting of the Myers Cottage which houses the Wrightsville Beach Museum, NC

...smell the salt air as you sit on the porch...

Giclee' prints available

Spring Cypress at Greenfield Lake
Pastel pleine-aire painting of cypress trees in Greenfield Lake in Wilmington, NC

The geese are a common sight and it is a frequent roost for American Egrets.

Still Water
Pastel painting of the cypress lake behind the New Hanover County Senior Center.

I marveled at the reflections in the water, and promised I would come back...

"Still Water" won an honorable mention at the first Coastal Pastel Society of North Carolina Show. 

The Perfect Pick at Lewis Farms
Pastel pleine-aire painting of a U-pick Strawberry Farm in Wilmington, NC

...when a bus load of school children pulled up.

Filtered Light
Pastel pleine-aire painting of a garden in Demarest Landing, painted during the New Hanover Arboretum's Art in the Garden Tour in Wilmington, NC

...inviting place for a lazy afternoon.

Once Upon a Time
Pastel pleine-aire painting of The children's garden playhouse at the New Hanover County Arboretum in Wilmington, NC

...escape for a moment back to time when we used to "play house".

Garden Ladies
Pastel pleine-aire painting of a garden in Demarest Village.

I had to paint quickly under the gathering skies. 

The Edge of Spring
Pastel painting of a cardinal in a bare Sycamore tree in early spring in Wilmington, NC.

Spring is always so dry here and the atmosphere is so clear.

Garden Guardians
Pastel painting of the sphinx-like guardians of the verdigris gate on Nun St. in downtown Wilmington, NC

It's a beautiful gate, and I often wonder about the garden behind it.

Bricklaces
Pastel painting of a lacy green vine clinging to a stark red brick wall in downtown Wilmington, NC

Sometimes we find beauty in the most un-likely places.

The Color "Maple"
Pastel pleine-aire painting of a Japanese Red Maple in the artist's yard in early summer in Wilmington, NC 

I marvel at how the light plays off its leaves looking orange, red, and even purple...

Fire Fog
Pastel painting of foggy sunrise through cypress trees in Greenfield Lake in Wilmington, NC

...to re-create the dynamic glowing effect used by the Hudson River School painters.

Hugh MacRae Park
Original Art; Pastel pleine-aire painting of the hidden lake at Hugh MacRae Park in Wilmington, NC

I wonder how many people drive past this hidden lake every day and don't even realize that it's there.

Dawn's Palette
Pastel painting of a coastal sunrise in Wilmington, NC

The atmosphere is always changing when you live at the edge of the earth...

SkyCatchers
Pastel pleine-aire painting of palmetto fronds

Light and shadow create the design in this pastel painting of palmetto leaves catching and reflecting the sky.