Early Years
Sweet Home Suite
Story
My first Roomination, 'Sweet Home Suite' (8.5"x10"), was born from the frustration of attending my first (and last) drawing class. It is, as you can see, quite primitive, with only an allusion to perspective but no real effort to render a realistic scene. I made several of these early pieces and, since each one was a room, I decided to call them Roominations!
8.5" x 10"
Right-Up Piano
Story
At one point, we had an upright piano that we were donating and I thought to memorialize it before sending it to its next home. 'Right-Up Piano' (9"x12"), while less detailed than the piano it commemorated, is considerably more detailed than my earlier Roominations. I have always loved checkerboard floors and here I started to experiment with different ways to render them in my art.
9" x 12"
Kitchen Little
Story
The next piece is 'Kitchen Little' (9"x12"). My older kids were city dwellers at this point, so I was thinking a lot about apartment living. I love the old fashioned kitchens in many apartments and decided to make one. Although 'Kitchen Little' is still very much a two-dimensional piece, I was experimenting with ways to add depth. Here I added a ceiling and a window and used trim on the appliances to see if I could give them more perspective.
9" x 12"
Grand Baby
Story
I loved 'Right-Up Piano' but I thought it would be fun to make a more elaborate one and so 'Grand Baby' (11"x14") was next in production. I painted the zebra print for the piano bench and then thought to use fabric, beads and some chain for the lamp. I was still playing with sharper angles for perspective and now my ingredient list was growing as well!
11" x 14"
A to Zebra
9" x 12"
Story
'A to Zebra' (9"x12") quickly followed because I had so much fun painting the zebra print that I wanted to do more. I loved combining this riot of colors. If I were to enter a life-sized room decorated like 'A to Zebra,' there's a good chance I'd be horrified but in my miniature world of Roominations, I find the color scheme perfect!
Study in Gray
Story
My youngest daughter confessed to me that she didn't like the amount of color I kept using. In fact, she said, 'I don't like color at all. Can't you do any without color?' Hmm. Interesting challenge. Could I create one without color? Did I want to create one without color? Turns out I did! Without color, I needed to look elsewhere to create interest, not just for you viewers, but for myself as well. To make 'Study in Gray', I could not fall back on using angles and color to imply depth so, after many false starts, I tried building the furnishings out from the canvas to create actual depth. The challenge my daughter had unwittingly posed had opened an entirely new direction to take my Roominations- off the canvas!
11"x14"
Couched in Differents
Story
'Couched in Differents' was the next step in what I now realize was my learning process. I wanted to go back to creating colorful works but I decided to keep up the 3-D thing I had started in 'Study in Gray.' I also decided to up the challenge by working the name of the piece into the design. I liked the result (and it had the added benefit of reminding me of the name I gave each work), so I have continued to do that with every Roomination since!
9" x 12"