"Twofer"

As I pulled up in the driveway the other day I noticed our neighbor's flower bed. These intense yellow lilliess practically glowed. It was the golden hour, and they took on a beautiful orange hue. Here's my impression of them. 

"The Tower Remembers"

Saw this amazing sight when I was in London a few years back. An artist created a ceramic poppy for every person who died in World War One. They were place at the Tower of London, pouring out of a window and filling the moat. After they were displayed, they were given to any living relative of the dead they could find. What a moving experience. 

"Tuz Golu"

We visited Turkey's Salt Lake, Tuz Golu, on our way to Capedoccia. It's a breathtaking sight indeed. Qw walked out about 500 yards or so, on what looked like ice, but was in fact. salt. In the middle of nowhere, was this odd chair. Turkish men would photograph their wives or girlfriends seated on it. So it kind of made sense to just leave it there. And it added to the surreal vibe of the place. 

"Here comes the sunset"

I managed to spot this remarkable sunset from my studio window a couple weeks back. Seems like we've been having a lot of great ones lately. I was fortunate to have my iTelephone handy and grabbed a quick snap of it. Here's my attempt at capturing it on canvas. 

"Turkish Rock Stars"

While visiting friends in Turkey a few years ago, we took a trip to Cappadocia. It's truly one of the most unusual places I've ever been. The place is lousy with bizarre rock formations and deep caves where early Christians hid out.. On our way, we stopped to check out this oddball site. And as usual, we were treated to an amazing sky and cloud formations.

"See? Horses!"

The Detroit Boat Club had been largely neglected for at least ten years. The city owns the historic club, and over the past several years, started fixing the place up. We toured it recently because my oldest daughter was considering getting married there. I took a bunch of photos of its beautiful architectural details. These ornate seahorses adorn one of the staircases and I felt deserved to be committed to canvas. 

"Go green!"

The Conservatory on Belle Isle recently reopened after major repairs were made. It was great to see all the exotic plants again. Quite a few plants were in bloom and I took a ton of photos. This plant caught my eye. And yes, those were the actual colors. I don't ever recall seeing black leaves on a plant, except for the unhealthy ones in my garden. Definitely more to come!

"Those things on the river"

We recently visited Windsor for the annual International Tug Boat race. While we were there, we took a stroll along the Detroit River and came across these odd contraptions. Not sure what they were--possibly boat launches? Anyway, we found these rusting hulks fascinating and definitely worth painting. If you're ever in Windsor, Ontario, look for these. They're  just east of Dieppe Park. 

"Birdhouse Envy"

Saw this scene on my daily walk. It was in someone's backyard, so I took a quick snap of it with my iTelephone. But I wasnt sure I got everything right, so I made a point of walking by it a couple more times as the painting progressed. The scene looks pretty much as painted, however I took a few liberties with it. I won't tell you what was real and what was from my imagination. 

"Redhead, Ankara"

Several years ago, we visited friends in Ankara, Turkey. It is truly one of the hearts of civilization. And the city has one of the most amazing museums of antiquities I've ever seen. The place is absolutely crammed with ancient treasures. I shot a lot of pics, but I could have taken tons more. Here's one of the more interesting heads (masks?) we saw. Expect to see more paintings from here in the near future. 

"Chicago Reflections #2"

Here's another cool looking building in downtown Chicago. I love the interesting reflections on the side of it. I just wish I had taken more photos of the reflections. Maybe a return trip is in order soon.