JUST PEACHY

6"X6"

OIL ON CANVAS PANEL

This painting started out as another lime painting but I just couldn't get excited about it. I sat staring at it trying to decide what I could do to fix it. The only thing possible was to wipe it out and start over. I like it now.

GOLDPLATED

6"X6"

OIL ON CANVAS PANEL

 What a nice painting day. I was actually able to have my studio windows open today. Not too hot and no wind to carry the ragweed inside. Limes and lime juice on my food is a favorite of mine but I decided I don't like to paint them. Those transparent greens are hard to nail down. I know the answer to that is...paint more of them for the practice but I'm not in the mood.

BACK TO BACK 6"X6" Oil on Canvas/ON HOLD

I thought about calling this painting "The Argument". It looks like they are so angry they don't even want to look at each other. No, I didn't just have a dispute with my husband. No personal issues here, just difficulty coming up with titles at the end of a long day of painting. This is the last of the eggplants for now. On to my next victims.

BABY EGGPLANTS 6"X6" Oil on Canvas ON HOLD

I have always loved painting eggplants because I can use Alizarin Crimson so liberally. That is normally a color that requires restraint. As a professor once said "Alizarin Crimson is a lot like skunk, it permeates everything." I don't use black very often but it is great in a mixture with Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine Blue for the very dark areas of the eggplants.

SUSANS 6"X6" Oil on Canvas

I call these black eyed susans but I really think that is just a generic term for any yellow flower with a dark center. I'm open to correction about that. It is one of the few perennials blooming in my garden in August. Or maybe I should say surviving, considering the heat this year.

IRONWEED 6"X6" OIL ON CANVAS/ON HOLD

This is a weed that I admire every year and always plan to paint but never seem to do it. My new habit of  keeping plant nippers and gloves in my car has payed off. Now I just stop my car when I see a worthy weed and bring it into the studio, bugs and all. This beautiful weed grows over 7' tall and got its name for the toughness of the stem. They start blooming in August and last until October.

YELLOW PLUMS 6"X6" OIL ON CANVAS

After bringing these plums home from the farmers market on Sat. I grabbed a bowl and put them in the fridge. Later I opened the door and thought WOW! that is a still life painting. The bowl is one of my treasures from San Miguel, MX. Every time we go to MX. I bring back as many hand painted dishes as I can fit into my bags. I don't have room in my cupboards for more dishes and that's a good thing. They now charge for overweight luggage.

PEPPER DOTS 6"X6" Oil on Canvas

This is the last of the little peppers for now. They are contributing to the compost pile as I write this. Or they may have been a vegetarian meal for the racoons that roam our neighborhood at night. Friday is almost always a studio day for me but this week I'm going to Columbus with friends and family to visit The Franklin Conservatory. If you live in Ohio it is worth a visit for adults and children. They have a wonderful butterfly room. I hope to get lots of photos for possible future paintings.

PEPPER LINEUP 6"X8"

Now that I'm posting this painting I notice there is quite a bit of glare on both ends. It is hard to photograph a still wet painting and not have glare somewhere in the painting. I am trying a new little gadget that has halogen lights. The trick is to aim the lights at just the correct angle and the angle is different for each painting. For those of you living in the Dayton area, stop by Gallery 510 on East Fifth St. to see some of my work.