Guarding Plates

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I found this purple-ish glass recently at the thrift store. It was quite a challenge to make the colors read right since you can see through to the white plates and the green background in different places. And then of course the glass gets thicker and thinner, and add reflections on top of that! Whew.

Let's Talk

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oi on panel

Here's another one using two lights (one stronger and warmer than the other). The cooler light did some really "cool" things to the otherwise warm shadows. Haha, I'm a riot - you know it.

Wandering Away

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I used two lights again for this one - one stronger than the other. You can see that it sort of fragments the shadows. I have to move the lights around for a while before I think the fragmenting is happening in a pleasing way. But I'm just finding it much more interesting than solid shadows at the moment.

Ripe Reflection

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I love hitting up thrift stores for clothes with fabric I like, and then turning them into something new. They also work great cut up and used as drapery in a still life. : )

Swimming with Apples

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Here is another way I have been experimenting using a second light. I shine my regular (strong) light on my subject from one angle, and then I play around with a second, dimmer light, from another angle. Sometimes it makes extra shadows, but sometimes it just adds little fragments of lighter bits in fun colors to the existing shadows, like it does here. Also, because my main light is a little warmer and my secondary light is a little cooler, it adds some cool colors to a mostly warm scene, which excites me. And that's really what I'm looking for 30 years into painting - things I can get excited about.

Networking

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

When I was younger I dabbled briefly in web design. I didn't know how to get my name out, so I joined the Austin Chamber of Commerce and went to a few networking events. For me, securely in the introvert camp, it was painful. This is my re-envisioned "happy" networking event, with happy apples and cups, all completely comfortable with each other, no financial advisors allowed. : )

Apple Sniffer

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel

He takes his job very seriously. I mean someone has to make sure the apples smell ok.

Spin the Bottle

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Here's a throwback to childhood. It was always a bit awkward when the bottle landed in between people.

Finding Each Other

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x10in. - oil on panel

One of my students from last week sent me a photo of her temporary solution to a panel holder. The idea is that it holds the panel in place, and allows you to paint off of every edge with nothing blocking the strokes. She basically taped paint-stirring sticks (the same thickness as her panels) to a board with very sticky tape, which then holds the panel with friction. It works! Here's the photo ->

They Drank the Kool-aid

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I have kept an eye out for cool pieces of fabric for adding to still lifes, but have had a lot of trouble finding ones that would work. It needs to have the kind of pattern that is easy to simplify with paint. Recently my sewing adventures have included buying things from the thrift store and modifying them, or frankenstein-ing different things together. The fabric that is available to the clothing industry is far more vast and interesting than the fabric I can buy as an individual. So it occurred to me recently that I can also look at the thrift store for things that I can cut up for still life. This one did double duty. Not only am I using this little scrap in the scene above, I also used some of it to make a t-shirt for myself.

Shine On Crazy Apple

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I've got a workshop coming up, so I've been thinking a lot about teaching, always trying to improve my game. One thing I tell my students, because it's important for me too, is setting expectations. We tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves for the next painting to be "good." But it often leads to disappointment. So my thing is to always expect "eh." That way I am pleasantly surprised if it works out. 

Also it can help to do a bunch of paintings without judgement, and then instead of asking yourself if any one is good, rather, ask which are your favorites, and what you learned that you can apply to the next batch. That way you're always moving forward. If you get too focused on one painting that wasn't your best, it can easily lead to fear and discouragement. And then you're not painting anymore, and then you're definitely not improving.

Tranquil Blue

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

I switched to fixed prices a while back, but have decided to try auctions again. I'm also going to try shorter auctions, after bidding on some things myself (on Ebay - stuff to paint) and losing interest after a few days, haha!

This 3-day auction starts at $125.

Not on the Same Page

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Theatre Apples

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

You can always tell the theatre apples from the normies because they tend to stand in the spotlight. And they revel in how the others talk about their dramatic scenes.

Stacking Apples

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

This little pig I have is very critical. He said, "Why are you stacking those apples in that jar? No one would ever do that. Who is going to want a painting of it?" So I stuck him in the painting and he shut up.

When Pigs Fly with Apples

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

A recent student of mine had a very cool elephant coin bank that she brought to paint, which inspired me to look on ebay for more interesting things. I found this cool pig that is so different from my others. He got along great with my apples.

Apples on Hand

Click Here to Purchase - $250 - 8x8in. - oil on panel

Here's another study of apples in a glass bowl that I did in preparation for a larger one. And when I say large, the final version is 32x32in! Which is like larger than a mural for me. But I'm really happy with it, and so glad I did studies.

Take Your Positions

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Apples love to show off. It's one reason why I paint them over and over. They are not shy, and they never, ever complain.

Keeping the Doctor Away

 

Click Here to Purchase - $250 - 8x8in. - oil on panel

I love the theme of fruit in a glass bowl. You might have noticed me paint it before. I wanted to do a large painting of it, but decided to work out the lighting and composition first with a few studies. Here's the first one.

Apples Beware

 

Click Here to Purchase - $250 - 8x8in. - oil on panel

I'm really quite a peaceful person. It's not me who puts the objects into threatening positions. In this case it was the scissors. They jumped in at the last minute. I think I need to put them in therapy.