Chair 2

20" x 30" oil on canvas

Chair 1- working towards a show

24" x 36" oil on canvas

National Famine Memorial in Ireland

18" x 22" oil on canvas

My friend Jim commissioned me to do this painting for him.  He and his wife have ancestors from Ireland and they were really touched by this memorial of a famine ship.  His wife, Colleen, has ancestors that were turned away from the United States because they were so poor and sick from crossing in what was called a coffin ship.  They went to Canada instead.  Eventually they immigrated to the United States.

Bapa's chair (Sold)

24" x 36" oil on canvas

This is a portrait of a chair that belonged to my father.  He took an interest in to caning chairs after he retired.  I found the chair, seat-less, at a yard sale along with some others.  This was his favorite, which he liked particularly for its shape and size.  He had a great eye for beauty.  I love that he became interested in a new craft and skill late in his life.  He did wonderful works.

Youth rocker

24" x 32", oil on canvas

This is a portrait of a little rocker of my mom's, which used to belong to her mom.  Age hasn't diminished her beauty.

Chair

Maybe, just maybe, this chair was the start of my fascination with them.  I drew this in a class with Bruce Smith at Brigham Young University.  He would get pretty excited about chairs as well.  It could have rubbed off on me.  But really it was my dad that opened my eyes to the possibilities of painting chairs.  He had a variety of chairs in his house that he picked up at different places, as well as the chairs that were passed down in the family for generations.  He said to watch people as they came in and see which chairs they sat in.  He thought you could tell a lot about a person by which one they chose.  The chairs themselves have personality, and draw certain people to them.  At the moment, I am in the process of painting portraits of my dad's chairs.  I like thinking about him while I work.

Portrait for James Copple

Oil on canvas 18" x 24"
Jim contributed to our adoption in exchange for this painting.  We're so happy to have his support.