“Bonaventure Cemetery was made famous when one of its sculptures, a statue known as “Bird Girl”, was featured as a book cover and in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”. The statue was such an attraction that it needed to be removed to preserve it from the many hands of tourists, and damage from vandals as well. It was relocated to the art museum (Telfair Museums’ Telfair Academy), where I was able to view it.
Angel statues in the historic Savannah cemeteries inspired me to paint an angel in a similar pose and style to the stone sculptures. My angel is in full color with a fantasy landscape, as if giving life to what was cold and dead. As fall represents death, yet contradicts itself in color, forecasting an impending stillness, yet change, visiting the memorials felt much like the changing of seasons. There was peace and beauty, yet bittersweet, as endings and loss permeate the grounds.”
When believing in life after death, we are sustained by the hope of a joyous reunion with the people we love. They are with us, as family is forever. We see them in the faces and spirits of the new generations. They are with us in our memories, in the songs of our time, in the art that we see, and the nature that holds us dear. May God keep you strong in your times of grief and loss, bless you with healing closure, and grant you peace.
List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:
- City of Savannah
1.1 “City of Savannah” page 6-7
1.2 “Natalie at the Fountain” page 8-11
1.3 “House in Savannah” page 12-13
1.4 “Guardian Lion” page 14-15
1.5 “Autumn Angel” page 16-17
1.6 “Steamship Savannah” page 18-19
1.7 “Boiled Peanuts for Sale” page 20-21
1.8 “Bulldog” page 22-23
1.9 “Serenity Piano” page 24-25
1.10 “Painting Colors” page 26-27 - Tybee Island
2.1 “I Love Life” page 30-31
2.2 “Living Sand Dollar” page 32-33
2.3 “Matthew the Sea Turtle” page 34-35
2.4 “Fungie the Dolphin” page36-37
2.5 “Angel Releasing Dove” page 38-39
2.6 “Flag on Tybee Island” page 40-41
2.7 “My Kids at the Beach” page 42-43
2.8 “Lighthouse near Tybee Island” page 44-45 - Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians
3.1 “Gator and Snake” page 48-49
3.2 “Tree Frog” page 50-51
3.3 “Lizard” page 52-53
3.4 “Blue Heron” page 54-55
3.5 “Hummingbird” page 56-57
3.6 “Painted Bunting” page 58-59 - Flowers and Trees
4.1 “Pink Flower” page 62-63
4.2 “Porch Flowers” page 64-65
4.3 “Clover” page 66-67
4.4 “Butterfly Tree Flowers” page 68-69
4.5 “Savannah Tree” page 70-71
4.6 “Dancer in a Floral Forest” page 72-73
4.7 “Come to the Garden” page 74-77
4.8 “Cherokee Rose” page 78-79 - Faith and Food
5.1 “Floral Cross” page 82-83
5.2 “Lenten Flower” page 84-85
5.3 “Celtic Cross” page 86-87
5.4 “Mary of God’s Favor” page 88-89
5.5 “Lion and the Lamb” page 90-91
5.6 “Breakfast with Friends” page 92-93
5.7 “Peaches in a Bowl” page 94-95
5.8 “Peach Cookies” page 96-97
5.9 “Peach Pie” page 98-99 - Seasons and Weather
6.1 “Pumpkins and Mums” page 102-103
6.2 “Autumn Cottage” page 104-105
6.3 “Spring Lambs” page 106-107
6.4 “Peach Tree Hurricane” page 108-109
6.5 “Eye of the Storm” page 110-111
6.6 “God’s Promise” page 112-113
6.7 “We Gather Together” page 114-115
6.8 “Savannah Snow” page 116-117
6.9 “I Believe in Santa” page 118-119