FORGIVENESS

Tenth Station: Jesus Is Crucified "Lord, grant us merciful hearts that we may bring Your reconciliation and forgiveness to all"

HELPING OTHERS WITH BURDENS

Eight Station: Jesus Is Helped By Simon The Cyrenian To Carry The Cross "Lord, grant us willing spirits that we may be Your instruments on earth."

BURDENED WOMAN

Seventh Station: Jesus Bears The Cross "Lord, grant us strength of purpose that we may faithfully bear our crosses each day"

CROWN OF THORNS

Sixth Station: Jesus is Scourged and Crowned With Thorns "Lord, grant us patience in times of suffering that we may offer our lives as a sacrifice of praise"

SUNSET REFLECTIONS

18x24 Oil on Canvas, I have so missed being able to see our sunsets since the fire that I have decided to paint some so I can look at them anytime I want. It helps.

SUNSET

8x10 Oil on Canvas

CONDEMNED

12x16 Oil on Canvas. Afghan women in Burqa's. Third Station Jesus is Condemned By The Sanhedrin "Lord, grant us Your sense of righteousness that we may never cease to work to bring about the justice of the kingdom that You promised"

PETER DENIES CHRIST

Fourth Station of the Cross Jesus Is Denied By Peter "Lord, grant us the gift of honesty that we may not fear to speak the truth even when difficult"

BETRAYAL

Second Station:Jesus, Betrayed By Judas, Is Arrested "Lord, grant us the courage of our conviction that our lives may faithfully reflect the good news you bring."

BOY WITH CANDLE

THE OVERLOOK

Behind our home we lost in the fires was an area we called THE OVERLOOK. It looked beyond the trees, over the Colorado River, and into a meadow. It was beautiful and we loved it. The trees are gone now but the view remains in our heart.

BLUE POT AND FLOWERS

30x24

Oil on Canvas

THE EXODUS

This is another image I painted of the fire coming towards us as we all were escaping in our cars. It's hard to imagine the blackness of the night and the brilliance and heat of the fire.

Oil on Canvas

8x10

FIRE

First Station Jesus In The Garden Of Gethsemane "Lord,grant us Your strength and wisdom, that we may seek to follow Your will in all things" This is a small little painting I did last week. It is the first time I have painted since the fires destroyed our home over Labor Day weekend. There are so many images of fire in my head. I'm sure there will be several more fire paintings. The challenge in this painting besides the emotional one was capturing the intensity of the power and heat. 15 months later: I have decided to use this for the 1st station of the cross. It has been a very painful one to bear.

This is called a Mandala. I did this with pastel pencils. It was an interesting exercise for me. Just thinking about what is important to me and trying to illustrate it in this manner was new. The cross being at the center and all color and life flows from that for me. The rainbow full of promise and the maze behind the cross speaks of the mystery. There are other symbols here but that will give you an idea of a few of my thoughts.

OUT OF THE DARKNESS

Strangely I began this painting blindfolded with a color in each hand. I had no plan but just began putting color and shapes to the canvas. A few days later this painting emerged. (I did take the blindfold off after a few minutes of drawing). It's quite amazing to me that this is the result of not knowing where I was going but when done the piece touched me and came from somewhere deep within.

24x20

Oil on Canvas

SARAH'S SHOES

When our youngest daughter came to us from Korea, she came with a little pair of rubber shoes. We have had them all these years. After 37 years of sitting out they have begun to crumble and I so wanted to preserve their memory. So I did this little painting in honor of our beautiful daughter, Sarah Emily.

8x10

Oil on Canvas

NIGHT TIME FRAGRANCE

The idea for this painting actually came from a dream I had about Jasmine flowers. I could smell their beautiful fragrance in my sleep. Quite remarkable. In some cultures Jasmine is the symbol for mother love.

24x20

Oil on Canvas

ENGLISH ROSE COTTAGE

I took a photo of this cottage a couple of summers ago while out walking in Southern England on a tiny little country lane. It was one of those scenes you stop and wonder if it is indeed real it is so beautiful and so very intimate. Like you had stepped into someone else's private world. I wanted to make the painting an intimate place for the heart to rest and eyes to soak in the wonder.

12x12 Oil on Canvas

PURRKINS RECLINING

I did this painting some time ago. The room is our sunroom which I have since made into my studio. The light is fantastic. However the view in the painting is incorrect as we have a great vista with lots of pine trees which I felt would detract in this painting from the interior. The little guy on the carpet is our Maine Coon cat Purrkins.

Oil on Canvas

24 x 30

THOMAS PARKER

This little Tom Cat came last spring and parked himself in our driveway. Hence his name, Thomas Parker. I began feeding him and waited to see if our other two cats would accept him into the family. Fortunately they did and he is a delightful addition to our fur folks.

Oil on Board

12x12

Duplicate by Dreema Tolle Perry

MOTHER AND CHILD BY THE WATER

This is a duplicate of an Asaro' painting. I love the way the mother is wrapped around her child and the tenderness she is showing as she dries her little one. There is something so incredibly comforting about scenes of family's by the sea.

Oil on Canvas

12 x 16

AFGAN MAN SELLING COKES

This dear man was a street seller sitting on the curb selling cokes out of his styrofoam cooler in Afghanistan. His leg had been blown off by a mine and he had taken his prothesis off to be more comfortable. The joy on his face is duplicated by the yellow of the car. His character and fortitude was stunning. I did this painting for a good friend of mine now living in Afghanistan.

Oil on Canvas

8 X IO

CREED AND GRANDMARY

This is our middle grandson Creed. He is about to throw water on me from his orange beach toy. We try and spend special one on one time with each of our three grandsons. The beach has to be the all time favorite for all of us.

Oil on Canvas

8 X IO

YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS

I think this one is finished. I often got lost doing the petals which is what took so much time but I like the overall effect of the light coming through the flower. It all feels like an invitation to explore.

This is a work in progress. As much as I try to do people and landscapes, I keep coming back to flowers. There is WONDER if you can see closely enough. I decided to try and look very closely at this beautiful one. But then there is WONDER if you can see closely enough at anything.

AMARYLLIS MOVEMENT

Red being my all time favorite color. I had to paint this beautiful Christmas Amaryllis. There seems to be a melody to the movement of this magnificent flower. Announcing something very grand.

18 x 36

Oil on Linen

APPLE PARADE

I wanted to do something with apples and a cloth. This turned out to be a fun painting with just a few tones and colors.

24 x 24

Oil on Canvas

MONET'S LANDSCAPE

This is a interpretation of one of Monet's landscapes. I did it in my style rather than his neither having the patience nor the ability to truly duplicate his work. I loved the play of lights and darks in the trees and the sense of the sun streaming over this quiet setting.

DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME

Instead of the wine flowing out of the cup I chose a Cardinal. As we observe the Cardinal, particularly against the backdrop of the stark winter months, we are reminded that even when things appear bleak and isolated, there is always the presence of beauty, hope, and love.

Communion is the reality of what Christ has done for us and continually awes and overwhelms my heart.