Sierra Style: The Magic of Tahoe’s Winter Wonderland
I’ll admit upfront—I’m not exactly Olympic-caliber on skis. I especially loved getting off the lift and creating a pileup. Now I enjoy the beauty of snow without stressing out. And for that, there’s nothing more magical than the Sierras after a big storm. Sierra Style, was inspired by pics a skier friend snapped on just […]
Flowing Light—Get your sparkle on the Upper Sacramento River
Like molten glass, the upper Sacramento River glides beneath golden maple, sun lighting the scene in explosive complimentary colors. One of my favorite paintings of the year, Flowing Light is inspired by the view downstream from Mossbrae Falls in Dunsmuir, California, a top day hike for daring friends—access being part of the adventure. Hiking to […]
Art is a Practical Gift—Personal, Lasting, Great Health Benefits
Aah, Black Friday—that annual stampede of panic when shopping carts collide, credit cards smoke, and someone invariably tries to wrestle a 75-inch TV into their car. Call us crazy, but we humans love to give. And we want our gifts to be personal—AND practical—AND on time! What to do?? That, my dears, can be solved […]
Golden Aspen—Be Inspired by a Rocky Mountain High
Carved into the Rocky Mountains, the Roaring Fork Valley is home to Aspen, Marble, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs (listed from highest to lowest), and every fall, it looks like someone spilled a treasure chest of gold across the land. I’m lucky to have family here and I’ll never forget my first experience of autumn. It […]
Autumn Vineyard: Another Toast to California’s new Gold Rush
California wine growing really is the new gold rush—and in autumn the vines turn gold, literally. It’s a magnificent time to visit wine country, even if you don’t drink wine, as is the case for yours truly. Some Italian I am, right? For my father, first generation, and a wine-maker, it was practically unforgiveable. Every […]
Vineyard High: A Toast to Los Olivos Wine Country
October is the grand finale of wine season—the air turns crisp, the grapes glow ruby, and the whole countryside smells faintly of celebration (and maybe a little Cabernet Sauvignon). From Napa to Santa Ynez, harvest time feels like one big toast to sunlight, soil, and good company. While visiting Los Olivos, that feeling inspired a […]
Prairie Creek Redwoods: Church in a Cathedral of Light
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park isn’t just a walk in the woods—it’s stepping into one of the grandest living cathedrals on Earth, where golden sunlight filters through branches like stained glass and the quiet feels holy. Only in this church, instead of pews, you get ferns, banana slugs, and the occasional hiker in mismatched rain […]
Hollyhock Gospel: Sing your Heart Out with Hollyhocks
My obsession with hollyhocks continues. The epitome of “flower power”, each stalk shoots six to ten feet high stacked with blooms that open and sing like Aretha herself, “Queen of Soul”. Hollyhocks are joy cranked to full volume and I wanted to bottle that feeling on canvas. To “show a little respect”, lol, (I hope […]
Hollyhocks: Make Your Day with the Fertility Flower
Sep 29, 2025—Hollyhocks are the fertility flower extraordinaire. Erect stalks shooting skyward, flowers bursting open bloom after bloom like Fourth of July. Each day, another blossom—or two!—climbing toward the heavens. You get the picture. The word “hollyhock” comes from Old English, “holy” and “hoc.” Translating directly, the flower is a “holy this”. Symbol of Fertility, […]
Virgin Mary Painting – Madonna in the Woods
Sep 23, 2025—Near Mt. Shasta, I came across a petite statue of Mother Mary tucked at the edge of the forest. She stood among tall mullein, their golden spires glowing in the late light, while the air carried the dry, herbal scent of the stalks. The trees folded behind her like a velvet curtain. She […]