The Barnacle

oil on canvas /36"x24"/available

The Barnacle, built in 1891, offers a glimpse of Old Florida during The Era of the Bay. Situated on the shore of Biscayne Bay, this was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove´s most charming and influential pioneers.

Black Mangroves at Adams Key Edge

oil on canvas / 48x36 / Department of State Collection

This painting was purchased by Florida's Art in Public Buildings Program and it hangs in Tallahassee at the Revenue Complex Building.

Tricolored Heron

oi on canvas / 24"x36" / available

This painting explores the beauty of Big Cypres National Preserve, where I was honred to serve as Artist-in Residence in 2011.

The Fairchild Oak

oil on canvas / 24"x36" / sold

The setting is Fairchild Tropical Garden, the largest tropical botanical garden in the country. Tropical and subtropical species from around the world grow in these 83 acres tucked between Biscayne Bay and Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables, a location made to order for warm-climate plants. This oak tree is at the former main entrance of the garden.

The Ghost Orchid

oil on burlap with masonite /12"x12"/ available

This painting is part of a series of nine paintings that depict Florida endangered wild flowers. The ghost orchid, with its long, delicate petals and spur of nectar has become a symbol of the South Florida landscape. Deep swamps of cypress, pond apple and palm trees are the preferred environment for this finicky plant. 

The Key Tree Cactus

oil on burlap with masonite /12"x12"/ available

This painting is part of a series of nine paintings that depict Florida endangered wild flowers. The keys tree cactus is unlike any other plant in Florida. It is a true tree, with mature individuals possessing differentiated trunks and branches (Avery 1982). Plants can reach as high as 10 m, and may have dozens of spreading branches (Ward 1979), though most of the larger plants have been destroyed by development and hurricanes (USFWS 1986).

Lignum Vitae.jpg

oil on burlap with masonite /12"x12"/ available

This painting is part of a series of nine paintings that depict Florida endangered wild flowers. It is special tree for many reasons. It grows slowly--about an inch per year. The wood is so dense that it sinks in water. Its wood was highly prized for propellers and judges' gavels. Because it's resinous, the wood was also good for ball bearings and hinges--they are self lubricating. The resin has medicinal properties: it reduces inflammation, suppresses coughs, and was used to treat syphilis. Because of all its uses, it was widely harvested and because of its extremely slow growth, the tree is rare in most of the Florida Keys, its native habitat.

The Necklace Pod

oil on canvas / 30"x40" / available

Yellow Necklace Pod, also called silverbush because of its silvery, velvety leaves, attracts the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird and the dainty yellow sulphur butterflies to your butterfly gardens.

Necklace Pod (Sophora tomentosa) is a host pant for caterpillars of the sulphur butterflies and provides both food and shelter for warblers. 

The Pond Apple

oil on canvas / 20"x16"/ available

The Pond Apple also called the Alligator Apple, Custard Apple, or Monkey Apple, by any name, the Pond Apple seems to be enjoyed by the alligators in the Everglades. The tree is a favorite resting place for the Wood Stork, Snail Kite, Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets and other large water birds who occupy the tops of the tree, while the smaller birds sit on the lower branches.

Primary Colored Bromeliad

oi on canvas/ 12"x12"/ available 

Bromeliads are related to the pineapple family. Their thick, waxy leaves form a bowl shape in the centre for catching rainwater. Some bromeliads can hold several gallons of water and are miniature ecosystems in themselves providing homes for several creatures including frogs and their tadpoles, salamanders, snails, beetles and mosquito larvae.

Red Mangroves at Convoy Point

oil on canvas/ 40"x30" / sold

Red mangroves grow at sea level right along the shore. Tangles of prop roots along the coast trap sediment that moves with the tide, which gradually builds up soil around the plants. Red mangroves, together with the other three U.S. mangrove species—black mangroves, white mangroves, and buttonwood—create vast coastal forests.

Twisted Bromeliad

oil on canvas / 16"x20"/ available

Ten of Florida's 16 native bromeliad species are listed as threatened or endangered. A threatened species is at risk of becoming endangered, and an endangered species is at risk of becoming extinct. This painting has been part of numerous  exhibitions including "Foreverglades", (Art Basel 2012), and Biscayne Botanicals (Biscayne National Park 2004). 

White Mangrove Blossoms

oil on canvas / 40"x30"/ available

An unfortunate victim of coastal development, the white mangrove prevents erosion of the shoreline, and provides a habitat for a large number of animal species. Mangroves have one of the most unique reproductive methods in the plant world. Rather than producing dormant resting seeds like most flowering plants, mangroves disperse propagules via water. Once the propagule drops from the parent tree there is a five day obligate dispersal period and the white propagule must remain in the water to germinate.