Cup O' Cherries

Cup O' Cherries 6x6 oil on canvas. Bid on eBay
A minor break from roses today as I console myself with the familiar.

Heirloom Bouquet

Heirloom Bouquet, 8x8 oil on canvas. Bid on eBay
Another attempt at a floral arrangement. I particularly like the warm shadows used in the pitcher/vase and the energy in the background. This is one of those little "Bliss Bouquets" you can pick up at Safeway so I dont know how long it will last in the studio. I'm going to try to squeeze as many paintings out of it as I can before the flowers are completely 'done'.

Rose Tea

Rose Tea 6x6 oil on canvas. Bid on eBay
Weeeelllll, I'm giving roses another go around. We are approaching February so why not (Valentines Day, right?)? I'll tell you why not. They are a real challenge! So many layers and petals that my eyes blur trying to get it all straight. But, I figure, after doing a hundred or so, I might get the hang of it. So if you'll just have a little patience and bear with me for a few posts (or a hundred) I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.

Clems & Lems

Clems & Lems, 4x6 oil on canvas. Bid on eBay
Clementines & a lemon cluster around this little tin. Another great exercise in painting brass. These little babies are always fun to paint. I love working with orange and red and my newest paint color: cad yellow deep. A BEAUTIFUL addition to my palette!

Orange & Ladle

Orange & Ladle 4x6 oil on canvas. Bid on eBay
This rather impressionistic painting was fun and I believe successful. The ladle, for whatever reason, was the biggest challenge but I'm happy with the results. Overall, it's the looseness and subtle color and value changes that give me the greatest pleasure with this painting.

Cherries Overboard

Cherries Overboard, 8x8 oil on canvas. Bid on eBay
This is the first of 2 paintings with this arrangement. I don't usually add table cloths and linens mostly because I don't use them in my home so it doesn't come naturally. I thought it would be a good exercise to explore folds and see how far I can push the highlights before it going to far. I think I may have to incorporate this in some of my larger paintings as it is a great tool for adding a degree of rhythm and of course guiding the eye to the focal point.

Pansies & Grapes

Pansies & Grapes, 8x8 oil on canvas. Another little painting from that same pansy photo that I used earlier now transposed into another small still life set up.
These are a fun way to spend the afternoon especially when the weather is all wintery outside. And tomorrow they are forecasting 6-10 inches of snow! Fortunately, I am warm and cozy in my little studio with my new new Bose stereo & 5 CD changer ! And now... off to the Post Office while I can still navigate the roads!

Green Apples & Lemons, 8x10 oil on canvas. Painting shiny metals is always a bit tricky for me. Achieving the slick surface and reflections is one thing but the object itself is never the color I first imagine. The painting then becomes a lesson in really looking and focusing on my subject.

I get so caught up in my projects that yesterday, my CD player played through an entire CD and moved onto the next one and I didnt even remember the first one playing!

Pear Line Up

Pear Line Up, 9x12 oil on canvas. It was hard passing up the pears with all the colorful varieties on display. So hard, in fact, that I ended up with a bag full! We end up eating a lot of fruit at my house. Every trip to the grocery store is a scouting mission for props! :)

Pansy Tea

Pansy Tea, 8x8 oil on canvas.
A little drama today. I inserted pansies from a photo I used for a workshop into my black tea pot. I'm really lovin' the freedom to pick and choose what to paint and where to place it rather than painting exactly what I see in front of me. I suppose that is yet another sign of growth for me. This painting is available through eBay.

*********

Update:  Sometime later I re worked this piece (one of my original 'do overs') using what I had learned over time regarding color, edges and so on.  Here is an image of that updated painting which has since sold. :)

Shiny Reds

Shiny Reds, 8x10 oil on canvas.
I think brass can be deceiving. Frankly, it's more of a green. Maybe just for this particular painting but when mixing the colors, I had some experimenting to do to achieve this "brassy" color. And then there's the reflections.. At any rate, I'm happy with the outcome and will probably use this basket again.. sometime.. when I'm in the mood for a challenge.. :)

A Lantern To Read By

Bid on eBay
A Lantern To Read By, 8x10 oil on canvas. I pulled this old song book off my bookshelf just for this painting. This was a fun project addressing the issue of aging a book. But seriously, the last pumpkin painting until next year.

After Dark

Bid on eBay
After Dark oil on canvas, 8x10. I'm particularly happy with this painting. The tea pot has just the right surface to it with just enough highlight as to not compete to much with the pears. And the pears really sizzle against the tea pot! Yes indeedy, I like this one. Maybe I should keep it around for inspiration. If it doesnt sell on eBay I just may do that.

Autumn Colors

Autumn Colors, 8x10 oil on canvas - SOLD
A week before Christmas and I'm still posting Autumn paintings. I'm happy with this painting. Backgrounds are really coming together for me these days. I've been studying color like a crazed obsessive but I think it's paying off. It turns out there really is some science to it, albeit I wont deny that the occasional rule breaking can often turn 'ho-hum' into 'dyn-o-mite!', hence, color THEORY and not color FACT. At any rate, I continue to experiment, finding the best lessons are learned through experience. Off to the studio.

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011 8x10 oil on canvas. Okay, it was a REALLY nice day. Maybe not very wintery but I'm more inclined towards sun than snow anyway. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

White Nectarines #3

White Nectarines #3, 6x6 oil on canvas. I've been working on my technique to increase the radiance effect. By that, I mean that I want it to appear as though a light is shining on it even if the lights in the room are turned off. It's really cool to see the gallery wall in my studio with paintings that, to some degree glow even before I turn my lights on! Anyway, this is one of those paintings but it is already sold and shipped so I only have the digital image now. :)

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.