Still Life with Lemon, Salt & Pepper shakers

" Still Life with Lemon "

Oil

6"x6"

I love painting objects that reflect and these salt and pepper shakers do just that. I placed a piece of red paper "off-stage" so that the red was reflected adding more color interest.

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Gerber Daisy, Mason Jar, flower

" Gerber Daisies "

Oil

6"x6"

Daily painting #116

Delicate Gerber daisies in an old pint Mason jar. I rummaged around our stash of glass jars..we make freezer jam so save all peanut butter and jam jars, plus we do some canning and have a huge assortment of canning jars. I am always surprised how the shape of the jars varies over the decades. I would think that once you have a well designed jar why change it? But, in our society it seems changes are made for the sake of change and marketing an "all, new design", etc. Keeps industrial designers in work. Thinking back over my career I often wonder what other creative fields I might have tried. Industial design would be one. I have always wanted to design a "line" of something dishes, wallpaper, fabrics, etc. So many ideas, so little time.

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Navel Orange, kitchen fruit

" Navel Orange "

Oil

6"x6"

I thought I'd better get this one posted today so you could see how all three of the kitchen fruit look together. It's fun to paint several in a row that are similar in composition. These are bold, bright and simple but make a strong statement together.

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Fuji Apple, kitchen fruit

" Big Red "

Oil

6"x6"

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Here's the second in the grouping, the Bartlett Pear from yesterday and tomorrow the Navel Orange. I'm hoping someone will want all three to hang as a colorful grouping in their kitchen.

Bartlett Pear, kitchen fruit

" Bartlett Pear I "

Oil

6"x6"

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I will be posting a single apple and then a single orange tomorrow and the next day. I designed these to hang together, either framed individually or mounted together in the same frame. Yellow pear/purple background. Red Apple/green background and orange orange/blue background. It was fun to paint a single fruit a bit larger than life. They remind me of the ceramic fruits and veggies my grandmother painted for her kitchen back in the 1960's. She painted greenware and let me do some, too. I'm showing my age!

Plein air painters or wannabes Check this out... Hilarious, thanks Tony Pro and Jeremy Lipking!

" Cherries I "

Oil

12"x12"

Private Collection

Here's an oil I did a few years ago, one of my favorites. I've been tagged by E. Floyd which means I get to reveal a few things about myself! Thank you Elizabeth...she has a wonderful blog and is a talented artist and architect. Here are the rules of engagement:

1. Link to the person who tagged you

2. Mention the rules

3. List 6 or 7 unusual things about yourself or quirky but boring, unspectacular details about yourself

4. Tag 6-7 other bloggers at the end of your post and comment on their blogs to let them know they've been tagged

Here goes:

1. I'm a birdwatcher

2. I still won't step on a crack in a sidewalk

3. I love popcorn with butter and hate to share it with anyone

4. I do remember most people from high school

5. I hate shopping but do love to buy art supplies...my closet is a disaster but my studio sublime

6. Grocery shopping is a bore but I do love to shop for just the right piece of fruit or other still life subject.

Tagging the following fellow bloggers. If I can do it so can you!

1. Katie Mae

2. Deano's Den

3. Christine Mercer Vernon

4. Mary Wiggens

5. Heidi Malott

Sugar cubes, silver sugar spoon

" Sugar Cubes & Lemon "

Oil

6"x6"

Very challenging to paint tiny little cubes. The color here is off and I couldn't get it right on my photo shop program. The lower right shadows and cubes should be more green..oh, well. I added the grains of sugar because they were there... and I finally noticed them. I think they add a bit of depth and sparkle.

Private Collection

Blueberries in Buffalo China Bowl

" Just Blueberries "

Oil

6"x6"

One of my favorite color schemes is yellow and blue violet and I threw in a bit of orange, too. What a challenge blueberries are. It is the type of subject that, for me, takes so much concentration. I found myself losing patience several times, having to refocus my attention to work one berry shape at a time. I left the painting to dry overnight so I could do some glazing. The paint wasn't quite dry today, it took a light hand and more patience. Whew, it's done. I do like it a lot and hope you do, too. Cheery yellows and blues for a gray November day...Veterans Day!

If there are any veterans reading my blog today, I want to thank you for your service to our country, the sacrifices you and your families have made to keep us free. Thank you and God Bless you!

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Silver Spoon, Sugar Spoon, Lemon

" Silver Sugar Spoon with Lemon "

Oil

6"x6"

How many ways can you paint a lemon? Or a glass plate? Guess this is my lemon with glass plate series number 3 this week. I knew I had paint left from yesterday's lemon painting and with the economy I'm feeling very frugel. Besides, when you choose similar objects or paint the same landscape view over and over you don't have to rethink everything, yet each will have its own character.

I chose a white napkin because I wanted a "high key" painting, lots of light values: more feminine than yesterday's bold reds and greens and stripes.

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Still Life with Lemon and Little Limes

"Still Life with Lemon & Little Limes"

Oil

6"x6"

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I haven't used this heavy, woven fabric before. It was at the bottom of my fabric stash and I thought it would be interesting with the citrus fruit and clear plate. I love how the edge of the plate bends the stripes. I paint what I see initially then take a long look at the painting so far to see what it needs. Tomorrow, I might end up glazing some of the shadow shapes darker for more contrast...

Bartlett Pears, Blue knife

" Pears and Blue Knife"
Oil
6" x 6"
I usually like to have all the pears standing up but this one wouldn't cooperate. Then I noticed it had a very good blossom end so I set the light to just catch the tips of those ends or whatever they are called.
I played with various plates, vases, etc. and kept coming back to this white linen napkin, very wrinkled. I've used it many times before and it's familiar to me..maybe that's what I liked. For the serrated edge on the knife, I first scratched the serrated shapes, then smudged a bit, then used the end of an orange stick (for manicures) to touch on the white highlights.

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