Mingling

 

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

(This isn't a great photograph of this one, so I'll get another soon.)

My current shadow "box" is a system of moveable "shelves," and I realized recently that I could use one of the smaller shelves above to cast a shadow on one below, which you can see at the back (top) of this painting. Just something a little different, which adds spice to my painting life. : )

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.

Special Tomatoes

 

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

These tomatoes were so special they required a fancy tablecloth. They would not sit for me otherwise.

Tomatoes Go with Fish

 

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

Whenever I go out, I always keep my eyes peeled for objects that might go well in a still life. But when I find something, I never know if they are destined be a rock star or not. This green fish has turned out to be a favorite. I have other things in my collection that I've never painted, even though I try them out in scenes. They just don't work. Although of course they might later. It takes a while for me to give up hope. And then of course there are a handful of things I keep right next to me - this simple plate and gorgeous fork are among those. They are my quiet rock stars.

Egg Order

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

Here's something a bit different for me. ; )

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.

Patient Peaches

 

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

When I went to the store to buy peaches, I found they were much bigger than I remembered! Are all fruit getting bigger? Bigger and sweeter. It's very interesting.

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.

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.

Jail Break

 

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

As spring arrives, we are getting more interesting and good looking produce at the grocery store here in Montana. Which makes this gal very happy! : )

Eating is Fun

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

My Grandpa Roy always said, "Eating is fun." When we visited he would take us kids to the pastry store for breakfast and let us pick out whichever donuts we wanted. And eating them was indeed fun! The resulting tummy-ache - not so much.

Five Things

 

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

My new, little, square cup wanted to make another appearance. Such a diva, this one.

Looking for Complements

 

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

I found this background fabric recently in my stash. I actually painted the dots on, years and years ago, when I couldn't find what I wanted at the store.

Fruit Aplenty

 

Click Here to Purchase - $500 - 12x12in. - oil on panel

If you're new to my work, I have a series of online tutorials available. I call them ArtBytes because they are bite-size tutorials, at reasonable prices. A few are free, so you can get a taste of what they're like. And if you pay for one and are disappointed, we have a money-back guarantee. Thanks for checking them out. : )

Join the Circus

 

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

I bought the little stripey cup on Temu. It's my only purchase using the site, and I wasn't crazy about it. But the cup is fine. It comes with a matching saucer, and I've tried painting them together several times, but it never works out. I'll get it eventually.

Speaking of bad purchasing experiences, if you enjoy sewing and are considering purchasing patterns on Etsy, beware! Apparently there are a bunch of pattern scams, and I fell for one with my first purchase. After many frustrating hours, I realized the pattern was physically impossible to complete. Here's a video I found about how to avoid these scams. Us makers have to stick together!

Citrus in Sun

 

Click Here to Purchase - $500 - 12x12in. - oil on panel

I got completely obsessed with sewing the last few weeks and neglected painting entirely. Oopsie.

Here's an oldie that I held onto because I really love it. Now it's prepared to find its forever home. Plus I'm home from visiting family for Christmas and ready to paint again. I hope you're all finding new inspiration too in the almost new year!

Glass Gathering

 

Click Here to Purchase - $700 - 16x16in. - oil on panel

Here's another large painting that was quite challenging. Trying to get all the shapes right and everything leaning in the right directions (perspective) AND the value and color relationships ... but I like how it turned out in the end.

Enough Grapes

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x8in - oil on panel

I found this one last small painting from back when I was doing grapes. Anything inside glass is tough, but a bunch of grapes? Quite a challenge. I realize I say a lot that something was a challenge, and so I guess what I should tell you instead is when something is EASY to paint, haha!