Blue with Dots

 

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

Here's the final blue on a shelf. I'll definitely return to this theme. Hey, maybe I could do a series for each color family!

I've been experimenting lately with a new light. Normally I use an LED flood bulb, which is quite bright. For this painting I wanted a more subtle, focusable light, so I used the light I bought for workshops (my travel light). It is a zoomable LED spotlight lamp with a gooseneck and a clamp, and I got it from Amazon (not getting a kickback for this mention). Here it is in real life:

True Blue Friends

 

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

Here's the second in my little blue on a shelf series. And speaking of rockstar subjects, you've probably noticed this little white cup a few times. I got it in Germany so many years ago, and it's cracked from when I poured hot tea in it once (?), so I can't even use it for liquids. But it's still perfect for being painted.

Got the Blues

 

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

I did a small series of blue paintings on a shelf, of which this is the first. It's amazing how just a few, simple objects and a light can create such drama.

Six Cups

 

Click Here to Bid (6x6in. - Oil - starts at $100)

I painted this from a photo because I couldn't turn my head enough yet (after neck surgery). Normally I paint from life, so I was surprised that there were some things I actually preferred about painting from a photo. And also some things I didn't prefer. Here's a short list of the biggest things.

Things I preferred:

1. Taking a bunch of photos and picking my favorite, rather than setting up one thing and painting it.

2. Having the photo on a screen that was a little further away than my setup from life usually is - gave me more perspective.

3. Not having to get my viewfinder back in the same place every time during the drawing phase.

Things I didn't prefer:

1. The photo is a little distorted - not too bad for this one, but there were others I had trouble with.

2. The photo doesn't capture all the colors or values. Darks get darker and the highlights get kind of obliterated.

3. All told it probably took more time, considering all the photo taking, editing and painting.

Passing By

Click Here to Bid (4x5in. - GOUACHE on 24-ply illustration board - bidding starts at $75)

I end up using some artistic license with these fish, but mostly with the space around them. The photos are almost never perfect, and often I end up changing the background in order to help keep the fish as the center of attention. Also, if you squint at this particular reference photo, you'll see that the values (and colors) at the bottom of the photo are very similar to those of the fish. Your eye can separate these in the photo, but it's harder to make that clear in paint. So I left out the sea floor. That's easy with water - tougher when the background needs to make sense, and you've got to make it up. That's where choosing the photo carefully is important.