Warming up a Cold Day

Warming up a Cold Day, 8x10 oil on canvas. Yesterday I started creating a mosiac top for my old coffee table. It was either that or pitch it and buy a new one. After 20 years of little boys, teenagers and young adults, the wear and tear was just to much and I'm a bit embarrassed by it.
So yesterday I spent an hour and a half breaking up plates I found at Goodwill. :) After my painting session today I'll begin applying the little shards to the top. Then Thursday I can grout it and post the results of my endeavors! Wish me luck - the only instruction I have is YouTube!

Winter Break

Winter Break, 8x10 oil on canvas. It never ceases to amaze me. I'm watching the grapes ripen, slowly. And I'm watching the temps drop. I'm trying to keep them on the vine as long as possible before freezing weather. One weekend goes by, very full weekend. Monday I check the grapes and the birds have picked them clean. :( CLEAN! Next year I'm netting.

Autumn Break Time

Autumn Break Time 8x10 oil on canvas. Another beautiful day, pumpkins washed off and piled up on the front porch. I'm not looking forward to the gutting process but the seeds are fab so worth the effort.

Mixed Company

Mixed Company 8x10 oil on canvas. Painting on an 8x10 feels like painting a house after painting on minis all summer! Sooooo muuuuuch caaaannnvas! But it's all good.

The weather has been so incredibly beautiful here in the Pacific Northwest the last few days it's almost sinful to be inside painting! I finally forced myself pull my pumpkins BEFORE heading out to the studio and just in time as some were starting to get soft stems! :( No prob though. I grow Snack Jacks for the naked seeds. I have 2 (TWO) LARGE wheelbarrows full sprawled out in my back yard where I sprayed them all off with the hose and let the sunshine and soft breeze dry them. Next step is painting them then harvesting the seeds! :)

And The Winner Is...

And The Winner Is... 4x6 Oil on Canvas. These brightly colored apples were not as easy as they first appeared. Bright red and bright green make a dull mud if mixed so care was taken not to mix them.

Orange & Red Grapes With Cream

Orange & Red Grapes With Cream 6x6 oil on canvas. I bought these grapes but I have a rather robust crop growing right next to my studio this year. It's getting pretty cold in the mornings but hopefully, they'll ripen before it freezes and I lose them all. Ironically, after I pick them I throw them into my freezer and enjoy frozen grapes this winter. Nice, huh? Of course, some will become props, and so will end up out in the field for the goats and geese to finish off.

Early Apples

Early Apples 4x6 oil on canvas. A few weeks ago I pulled my juicer back out in order to reclaim my commitment to good health. Or at least that's how I've justified filling the fridge with produce. Much of it ends up in my studio until it's a bit past prime and no one is the wiser save the horse and goats who reap the benefits of mushy apples and dried wrinkly grapes.
I'm am using the juicer though. You havent seen any grapefruit paintings because I'm on a grapefruit juice kick right now so they havent made their way to the studio. And late mornings I may juice up a tomato, carrot and celery -- and that is in the interest of good health! :)

Clementine Fest

Clementine Fest 4x6 oil on canvas. Ahhh, Fall. Autumn. October. It's raining and dreary which makes for a super cozy retreat in the studio. I love my fort. And apparently so do the local insects. I find a few here and there now that the cold weather is setting in. Heard some wind and thunder today but was far to engrossed to know if there was lightening first. Who cares? All I need now is one of those fake fireplaces to really cozy up the joint.... Hmmm.

Orange & Gold

Orange & Gold 6x6 oil on canvas. Hmmm. I found this little gold tin at a garage sale and picked it up just for this very purpose - a prop. I've been contemplating the idea of painting reflective surfaces and have done some but not like this one. Really, the gold color was not gold at all but ochre, ultramarine and some yellow. In fact, it's more green than gold on my palette. I find that interesting. Often the colors on my palette are nothing what you'd expect for the subject matter. At any rate, I was happy with the result... and ate the orange. :)

Pear and Red Grapes again

Pear & Red Grapes again. There's alot to be said for subtle color transitions and all the little nuances in a mosiac like painting. This is almost a one stroke per color painting but not quite. I did this one when a friend joined me in my studio to paint with me. My style changes somewhat when I paint alongside others. It seems I need complete and intense concentration when I'm at my easel. I've been known to paint for hours not realizing I forgot to turn the radio on!

Six Pears

Six Pears 8x10 oil on canvas. Actually this is one pear painted 6 times. It turns out there's a lot to be gained by painting the same thing over and over. I think I'm going to do this with lemons because they continue to give me a lot of grief. Eventually, I think we will come to an understanding -- like the pears and I have.
Incidentally, I couldnt get the colors to come out quite right on my monitor. The background is really more yellow than green.

Plums & Blackberries

Sold

Plums & Blackberries 6x6 oil on canvas. This painting is sold but I wanted it in my blog sooo... here it is. Likely the only painting of blackberries this year unless I get out there and do one today. The berries are all but dried up or eaten by the birds. Sadly, I never got out to pick this year for this winters indulgence. Clearly a case of procrastination. That said, I'm taking bites out of my 'to do' list and feeling rather good about it! :) I encourage you to take bites if you suffer from the afore mentioned affliction. It's like my sister said to me when we were teenagers, " How do you eat an elephant? One bit at a time." I never forgot that. Thanks Jennie. Your little pearls of wisdom got me over some tough mountains but then it also gave me permission to dally a bit.
Today: I shall chip away at my daily assignments. What gets done, gets done. As long as I'm chipping, it's all good. :)