Tuesday, January 26, 2010

THINK SPRING 6"x8" oil on canvas



I would like to say that this Jonquil is from my garden, but it isn't. We have snow on the ground here in Ohio with temps in the teens. Spring is still months away but the market is full of flower choices. I usually use more color in my setups but I was experimenting with the clear glass on white. At first I thought it was going to be a wiper but then things started coming together. Now I like it.




Friday, January 22, 2010

RED, YELLOW, BLUE 6"x6" oil on canvas


This one fell to the floor while I was setting it up to be photographed. Luckily it landed wet side up.
I am still working on the portrait I mentioned last time I posted and it hasn't gotten any easier. I decided I needed to look at a master portrait painter, so of course I chose Sargent. He made it look so easy.

To all my friends and family in CA. I hope you are staying high and dry.




Friday, January 15, 2010

APPLE MARCH 6"x6" oil on canvas


I just realized that I haven't posted anything since Jan. 3rd. I could go down the list of all the things
I have been doing instead of painting and posting but the yawning would be deafening. I have
started a fairly large portrait that is taking quite a lot of my time. I'm working from a photogragh
which I have only tried one other time with mixed results. At the University we were taught to
always paint from life but guess what, that isn't always convenient. Making up your own rules is
much more fun. I will post the portrait when it is finally finished.





Sunday, January 3, 2010

DECEMBER TULIPS 6"x8" oil on canvas



I went to the market on Dec. 31 to stock up on food since all the Christmas leftovers were depleted. The flower shop is the first area I see as I start through the store. Bright red tulips caught my eye and I couldn't resist buying them. What a contrast to our very cold temps and traces of snow remaining on the ground. The cloth is a gift from Marie, a friend who was helping expand my ever growing accumulation of still life props.

I like to try different painting surfaces and have been using RayMar canvas panels lately. They are sturdy and hold a lot of paint. Since I like painting on smooth surfaces, I bought the portrait finish.