"Liza" by Sharon Hodges

Liza is my goddaughter.  I photographed her playing one afternoon on the beach, and loved the colors in the sand and, most of all, her shadow.  The shadow is my favorite part of the painting.

"Not Exactly Fishing" by Sharon Hodges

These young boys were 'just looking', ahem, at the beautiful koi pond at The Cloisters at Sea Island...I promise that I did not see them grab any fish, at least not while I was standing there taking their photo!  This painting has generated two commissions that are currently on my easels....maybe they will be finished before this month's topic is completed.

"Father and Son" by Sharon Hodges

This father and son caught my eye at the Arboretum last summer...the boy had been playing in the frog fountain and had something in his foot.  He quickly crawled up into his dad's lap and knew it would be all better soon.  This was such a tender moment and the light was so pretty that it encouraged me to try to paint these figures, even though I had never painted figures before.

Silk Threads, 10x8, by Sharon Hodges

This still life of old silk threads in the empty jar is one interpretation of this month's theme....the old wooden spools are still full of thread and full of potential now that they have escaped their glass prison. Please visit my new website to see other painting, and thanks for looking!

Cactus Buds by Sharon Hodges, 11x14

I may be pushing the edge of our definition of 'flowers' this month, but I love cactus in bloom, especially the moment just before the pods burst open with the yellow flowers. That's when I painted this one...the yellow flowers are pushing their way out and will soon be screaming for attention. Now, they are just a whisper. If you have interest in this painting, please contact me. To see more of my work, please visit my blog or website. Thanks for looking!

Iris Blooms by Sharon Hodges

With this month's theme of flowers, I am struggling to contribute. Flowers generally bring me to my knees. They are, for me, challenging subject material, nevermind that I do enjoy them so much. These irises faithfully poke their heads thru the earth every spring in my yard. I painted them last spring, and I can hardly wait to see them this year, especially with all the snow and ice we've had this winter. This painting struck a chord with a visitor to my studio who bought it before it was dry...maybe I should be less afraid of flowers!

Sharon Hodges: Cowboy on 'Donut with Sprinkles', 36x36x2

Greetings, friends, Sharon Hodges here. I am new to this blog, and this is my first post. Our topic this month is 'cowboy up', so here is my offering......

I totally love the rodeo...the cowboys, the animals, the characters in the stands, the kids, the clowns, the whole big, crazy spectacle. I especially love the odd names of the bulls, and this one is no exception. Eight seconds is a lifetime if you are on the back of a really agitated, massive bull like this one. The cowboy did not win this engagement, but he gave it a great ride.

If you have interest in purchasing this painting, please contact me. To see more of my work, please visit my blog. Thanks for looking!