Thursday, October 30, 2008

Succulents II, Hens & Chicks

" Succulents II "
Oil
34" x 48"
I checked in with Frank Gardner's blog today and he is celebrating his one year anniversay of blogging! Congrats Frank! I thought I'd better check back and see when it was I began my own blog..it was October 22, 2007! Now, I haven't met my goal of 365 paintings, no where near. However, if I hadn't set that goal I wouldn't have completed the 107 I have done ( little daily paintings, not counting larger work.) It's the best thing I have ever done for my painting. I enjoy the discipline and the satisfaction of finishing a small canvas or panel in a few hours instead of days or weeks or months on larger work. Today's post is of an older painting. I sold it last year and do miss having it in my studio. I painted it in the mid-80's when my focus was on batik, not oils. If you'd like to see some of my batik work go to my main website. Thanks for visiting!
Private Collection

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Still Life with Lemons & Striped Cloth

" Still Life with Lemons & Stripes "
Oil
6"x6"
Busy, bright and it was fun to paint! I love this vintage pressed glass plate and it's wavy optics. Once again I used my one of my favorite fabrics, a woven stripe of many colors. Cheery colors and stripes for these stressful times we are in. Peace and love to all.
Sold

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Fall Aspen Trees

" Fall Aspen Trees "
Oil
6"x6"
Beautiful fall weather with more reds and oranges than we usually see. I was attracted by the brilliantly lit aspen trees against the nearly black hillside of fir trees. I really like the results, not overworked. I think because I'd told myself this was a study I approached it in a more relaxed way. I was reminded that to truely see the light you have to squint. In the case of these trees, squinting allowed me to see that most of the tree area was a dark middle value with just the edges lit. Without the squint, my mind told me the whole tree was lighter and would have resulted in much less contrast and hence not dramatic.
Available $425 framed Email me



Lemons & Blue Knife

" Lemons & Blue Knife "
Oil
6"x6"
I did some shopping at Costco last week and always buy the large bag of lemons. Nice shapes and colors. It seems so many of the Sunkist lemons in our local store have thick skins that I find unattractive for painting. I haven't painted 6x6's in awhile so decided to use my favorite dish towel and lemons, as they, too are a favorite subject. I liked the contrast of soft fabric folds with the straight, verticle knife.
Available, click here

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Garden Still Life, potted plants

"Garden Still Life "
6"x8"
Oil
This little oil was completed in about 2 hours during a garden tour that supports our local community library. The paint just fell off the brush in all the right places...yes! Rare, but those are the ones that keep me coming back for more.
Private Collection

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lemons & Mandarins II

"Lemons & Mandarins II"
Oil
11"x14"
I completed this small oil a while ago but it is one of my favorites and so I wanted to share it with you. I try to set up still lifes with very strong shadow patterns and this one on a white table cloth has that going for it.
Private collection