We're Losing 'Em

 

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

I haven't posted for a few weeks because I had a pretty big EBB. That's the opposite of FLOW, and it's when absolutely nothing I do in the studio works out the way I want it to. I used to feel really terrible and scared when this happened, but now I know it's just part of the creative process - like a field lying fallow.

After a few frustrating days, I realized what was happening and I gave myself a break. I went for more walks and got some stuff done around the house. I spent more time with friends. Every day I managed to go into the studio at least once and push some things around - sometimes oil, sometimes watercolor just to try it - anything to keep one toe in. And after a while, the flow returned. I've got a few more paintings to show from before the break (including this one), but eventually I got inspired by some things outside my studio. I know, crazy! I went outside! That's coming soon.

Just a reminder that if you want to get emails with my latest paintings, you can sign up here. : )

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.

Red Resonance

 

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

Technically there's pink in some of these, but it's still the red family. In fact it's the variations within the colors that excite me - including adjacent colors. Maybe that's why red has been so challenging for me - I don't have a lot of variety in my red things, in color or value. I think I'll try green next.

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.

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 ->

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.

A Different Perspective

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

Here's another reworked composition, inspired by a previous 6x6 (this one). After seeing them again now I think maybe I used a different light the first time. I changed a few other things, including the foreground paper. I may have to do a few more versions.

Hide the Apples

 

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

I bought this fabric a while back thinking I'd turn it into a scarf. I realized today that I can still do that, but just borrow it once in a while for a still life. Duh.

Draped in Purple

Click Here to Purchase - $650 - 10x20in. - oil on panel (click image to enlarge)

Full disclosure: this one is actually just under 10 inches tall. By about 1/8 inch. But it's one of my favorites of late. I've really enjoyed having it in my studio.

Considering Apples

Click Here to Purchase - $800 - 18x18in. - oil on panel

Here's a larger one that I completed before my sewing obsession kicked into high gear (yes, still at it). Maybe it was buying fabric for my still lifes that was the gateway drug. At any rate, dots and stripes abound in this one. And glass, and of course, dots through the glass, which is my favorite part.

Reflecting on Things

 

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

Sometimes a composition asks for a large panel, and sometimes it wants to be born small. They tell me what they want after I'm done putting them together. As long as they ask nicely then I'm fine with it.

Everybody Wants Grapes

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

I took a nice, long trip with my husband and dog, which was so wonderful after the year I've had! The great thing about trips for me is getting out of my routine and attaining a broader perspective on my life and my work. This is especially true when we are camping, because it gives me lots of time to stare at the scenery and contemplate what I'm doing without being pressed up against it as I am when I'm in my studio.

Another benefit of trips for me is that eventually I get bored, and new ideas start popping into my head. I had quite a few this time, and mostly they revolved around larger paintings. I have a handful of small works left that I will post (like this one), but I also have some big ones that I was holding onto for I'm not sure what reason, and have dusted off, varnished, photographed, and will soon post as well. The prices on these will be good as my main motivation is to move them out of the way for new work.

As for my neck and healing from surgery, it's going great! They say it takes a year to get back to "normal," whatever that means after essentially 20+ years of neck trouble. My muscles in that whole area are still angry, and that certainly hampers what I can do, but it's improving steadily, and everything is so so SO much better than it was before!!!

Cups Competing for Sake

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

I bought this little bottle of sake to paint because it was so pretty and frosted. I tried pairing it with a bunch of background colors until this one just sang. But it wasn't until I added the red cup that it became really interesting. I never would have thought it up - I just had to try a whole bunch of things until my brain went - ooooh.

Student Teacher

 

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

Here's another little still life that I painted a while back. I had been to the store looking for bottles with colorful labels to add to my scenes. But I think the apples stole the show. Or is it the pitcher?

Should We Hide the Sake?

 

Click Here to Purchase for $200 - 6x8in. - oil

Here's another one that's been sitting around my studio. I'm still not able to paint still life, but I have started to paint from photos (less difficult for my healing neck). As it is after any long break, my skills are rusty. I know it will take a little while to get into the groove and start doing work I'm proud to show you. Until then I'm enjoying the process.

Neck update: I'm feeling better every day! I started PT today and it's going really well so far. More and more I'm able to do the things I couldn't do for almost an entire year! It's like starting over with my life. : )

After the Ball

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

After several tries, I found for this one that the ribbon worked best if I painted the lightest lights first, and then the rest. It was too hard to get those brights on top of any other paint. But to do this I had to get the drawing just right before I started so that everything would go in the right place. And this was after needing about an hour to place and re-place the ribbon a million times before it looked good to me. Haha. Such a challenge!

Take Your Turn

 

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

For almost half a year I have been dealing with a health issue that has greatly affected my life. I have been seeing doctors but they are so far baffled by my symptoms. Fortunately I am still able to paint, but that is just about all. Recently I made the hard decision to cancel my workshop that would have happened this summer, and I'm so sorry to those of you who were signed up for that. Recently I was referred to the Mayo Clinic and will hopefully get some answers there.

Ode to Green

 

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

Often it's the simplest compositions that are my favorite. And always the most difficult to compose! Strange to say, but true.

Little Piggy Likes Yellow

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x8in. - oil on panel

No eggs or orange juice this time, but you can see I've been influenced by the color palette. Those pops of yellow/orange can be so exciting in a sea of blue and gray!