The Animal Gallery
"It's a Zoo out there"- Everyone
A variety of animals great and small, furry and fishy, toothy and tweety. The painting of nature's diversity is best shown in the variety of the Creator's imagination in the species He populated upon the earth. I could never paint all of them - nor would I want to. I'm not fond of scary movies so I'm certainly not painting some of the scariest of critters...although a shark or two has chewed its way onto my easel. Click on the photo for a full view.
<- To the left is "Going for a Run" (2025) an acrylic 16x20s1.5 painting of 4 horses splashing in the shallow waters.
No One Can Teach Riding So Well As A Horse (2021)
I think I was a typical little girl growing up, I loved horses. I drew them constantly. I read stories about them. I was fascinated by the beauty of them. Life, work, and surviving just didn't lead to much interaction with them over the years, but in early 2020, after a huge work layoff, I was at home and thought, I can paint. It took a little while to get a horse on canvas, but this horse was my first one back in the saddle after many years of not doing art. A painting on stretched canvas, this 18x24x1.5 painting features a horse's face up close and person with that eye looking at you and measuring your potential. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Horse
Wading Shackleford Pony (2023)
SOLD - I had some friends move to Harkers Island near Beauford, NC a few years ago and am happy to be able to visit them periodically. I've always heard of the Chincoteague and Assateague Island ponies, but never knew they were not the only island ponies on America's East Coast! So getting in a boat and puttering along the islands means keeping the camera handy, you never know when a pony might appear, or a dolphin for that matter. This is an acrylic painting on stretched canvas, 12x16x.75 featuring a pony wading with a blue heron over one flank and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse over the other. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Horse, Landscape
Location: Based on Shackleford Banks and the Cape Lookout Lighthouse in North Carolina
Sophie in the Snow (2023)
An acrylic painting on stretched canvas, this 12x12 painting features a commissioned pet portrait of the client's awesome dog named Sophie. She looks like she was such a big huggable lug. I'm so happy I could capture that for the client.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Pet Portrait
I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat (2021)
I have more fun naming the paintings than the actual painting sometimes! AKA "Tiger Face" is an acrylic painting on stretched canvas, this 10x10 painting features a tiger and those eyes - starring at you. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Siberian Tiger
Strutting My Peacock Stuff (2020)
An acrylic painting on stretched canvas, this 18x24x1.5 painting features the brilliant blue and intensely colorful peacock with feathers fanned out - looking for the love of his life. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Peacock
Owl Face (2020)
SOLD - I wasn't particularly creative with the name of the painting. Nonetheless, the wise ole' horned owl is wondering what you are up to and if you have a mouse. Perhaps I could have named him "Owl in Your Face". He was an acrylic on an 8x10 stretched canvas. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Owl
Saltwater Aquarium (2021)
I love aquariums. Always have. I've never had a saltwater aquarium, I had freshwater ones but finally realized they are a LOT of work. So painting one was much easier to take care of. Fish food not included. An acrylic painting on stretched canvas, this16x20x.75 black framed painting features colorful saltwater fish gliding through the water. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Fish, Saltwater Aquarium
My Island Paradise in a Red Dress (2021)
I wanted to capture an island view and an underwater view on the same artwork. Of land and sea. The feeling in this piece was an escape to an island, wearing a red dress with hair and fabric flying in the breeze. The girl is sitting on a rock looking out at the ocean, while under the incoming waves, the sea life including a sea turtle and fish are simply doing what the do. An acrylic painting on stretched canvas, this12x12 painting is a landscape and seascape all in one. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Sea Turtle, Fish, Landscape, Nature
A Day at Blue Ridge Shores (2022)
I spent some formative years growing up at Blue Ridge Shores in Louisa, Virginia. For so many years, there were spots around the lake that looked nearly abandoned with long piers and stairways coming down the hillside in disrepair, yet still showing a tortured beauty about them as they slowly fade away. A friend snapped a picture of the stairway before it was torn down, and the blue heron slips by...An acrylic painting on stretched canvas, this 24x24x1.5 painting features a blue heron flying over the lake past the walkway to the ancient pier. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Blue Heron, Landscape
Location: Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, Virginia
Lighthouse and Shackleford NC Pony (2022)
This 9x12x.75 painting features a Shackleford, North Carolina pony standing on the backs to the island, looking over at the Cape Lookout Lighthouse across the way. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Horse, Pony
Location: Based on Shackleford Banks, NC
See Any Doritos? (2021)
SOLD - I've said it before but I often have a great time naming my artworks. After these guys started taking shape, immediately I thought, what would they be saying to each other? You got it. Their favorite snack food to swipe from an unaware beach babe. This 10x10 painting features two beach birds on the shore on the lookout for crispy goodness. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Shore Birds, Beach
Turtle Life (2022)
Sea Turtles are such amazing creatures. From the tiny turtle eggs underground on shore that have to dig up from the sand to reach the surface, to the 'can I make it to the water?' Then growing up in the sea facing life and death every day and some growing old enough to start the cycle over and over for many long years. This is a celebration of the quiet dignity of these fascinating creatures. Prints are available on Etsy.
Size: 12x12x1.5 on stretched canvas
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animal, Sea Turtle
Ester (2022)
SOLD - This acrylic pet portrait painting on stretched canvas was a commission. the painting is 11x14 of a boxer puppy. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Pet Portrait, Dog, Puppy
Walking Away (2020)
AKA "Elephant Butts" Someone asked me once why didn't I paint them facing forward. I answered with, "I'd rather see them walking away than coming at me." Nonetheless, painting all those butt wrinkles took forever! (Cellulite on steroids!) Thank goodness the baby wasn't as wrinkly. This acrylic painting on stretched canvas is 12x16x.75. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Elephants
Baby Sea Turtle Making a Break for It (2021)
SOLD - If you are a watcher of the nature shows, you've probably seen how Momma sea turtle hauls herself out of the ocean and crawls across the sand. She digs a hole above the high-tide line, lays her eggs, and back into the ocean she goes. After about 80 days, baby sea turtles must dig to the surface of the sand and make that mad dash to the ocean. Prints are available on Etsy.
Size: 10x10x.75 on stretched canvas
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Baby Sea Turtle, Beach
Giraffe Skin Fur Pattern (2021) Animal Fur Series
SOLD - A painting series of animal fur, a study of the colors, the textures and patterns found in various animals. This is an acrylic painting on stretched canvas of a giraffes fun is 10x10x.75 in a black frame. Prints are available on Etsy.
Tiger Skin Fur Pattern (2021) Animal Fur Series
A painting series of animal fur, a study of the colors, the textures and patterns found in various animals. This is an acrylic painting on stretched canvas of a tiger fur pattern is 10x10x.75 in a black frame. Prints are available on Etsy. Watermarks on the photo only.
Zebra Skin Fur Pattern (2021) Animal Fur Series
A painting series of animal fur, a study of the colors, the textures and patterns found in various animals. This is a zebra skin fur pattern n acrylic painting on stretched canvas 10x10x.75 in a black frame. Prints are available on Etsy. Watermarks on the photo only.
Leopard Skin Fur Pattern (2021) Animal Fur Series
A painting series of animal fur, a study of the colors, the textures and patterns found in various animals. This is a leopard fur pattern in acrylic on stretched canvas 10x10x.75 in a black frame. Prints are available on Etsy. Watermarks on the photo only.
Cheetah Skin Fur Pattern (2021) Animal Fur Series
A painting series of animal fur, a study of the colors, the textures and patterns found in various animals. The cheetah fur pattern is an acrylic painting on stretched canvas 10x10x.75 in a black frame. Prints are available on Etsy. Watermarks on the photo only.
Birdie and Coco (2022)
SOLD - Commissioned Pet portrait of Birdie and Coco, this acrylic painting is on stretched canvas and is 11x14.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Pet Portrait, Dogs
Agatha and Francis (2022)
SOLD - Commissioned Pet Portrait. This acrylic painting on stretched canvas is 11x14 of a client's dogs - Agatha and Francis.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Pet Portrait, Dogs
Bluebird Bird Series(2022)
Bird Series -This acrylic painting on stretched canvas is 6x6 of a Bluebird on a fence.
Cardinal Bird Series (2022)
SOLD - Bird Series of a Cardinal -This acrylic painting on stretched canvas is 6x6.
Red-Headed Woodpecker Bird Series (2022)
SOLD - Bird Series of a Red-Headed Woodpecker. I have a beef with these mugs. They eat the trim above my front door. Perfect little round holes. You can hear them when they land and then start the peck-peck-peck. This acrylic painting on stretched canvas is 6x6.
Goldfinch Bird Series (2022)
SOLD - Bird Series Goldfinch - This acrylic painting on stretched canvas is 6x6.
Blue Heron at Blue Ridge Shores, VA (2022)
SOLD - I did several versions of this painting. A friend posted some pictures he had taken on Facebook of a visit to BRS, also known as Lake Louisa. He is quite the photographer, and always has his camera handy when he visits friends at the lake. I've asked for permission to use some of his photos as reference material for BRS artwork and this was one of them. While out boating, my brother pointed out the pier that our friend had taken the photo from. This acrylic paintings on stretched canvas ran as 10x20 and15x30.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Birds, Blue Heron
Location: based on Blue Ridge Shores, Louisa, VA
Mom, I Don't Want to Take a Bath (2022)
How many moms have heard that line? This artwork is based on a Shackleford Banks, NC pony not wanting to get in the water. The Cape Lookout Lighthouse is across the way. The ponies are often seen wading around the island. This acrylic painting on stretched canvas is 9x12.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Horses, Lighthouse
Location: based on Cape Lookout, NC and Shackleford Banks
Going for a Run (2025)
After visiting Harkers Island and Shackleford Banks in North Carolina and seeing the ponies wading in the water, this painting was born. Some may say the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - but these are just the horses deciding to play in the water. Horses doing what they do, just going for a run. An acrylic painting on stretched canvas, this 16x20x1.5 painting features the ultimate horse zoomies and splash. Prints are available on Etsy.
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Animals, Horses
Location: Loosely based on Shackleford Banks, NC
Bird Bar (2023)
If you ask people what their favorite bird is, I'm betting a lot of people say Cardinals. How about you? This is four cardinals bellying up to the 'bar' - their favorite bird feeder to feast upon the tasty morsels offered.
Size: 10x20x1.5 on stretched canvas unframed
Medium: Acrylic
Subject: Birds, Cardinals, Birdfeeder