Scaredy Cups

 

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

I like to really move my light around and try it from every direction. But this angle is new for me! It has the feel of a scary story when you're camping. Or is that just me? At any rate, the shadows were super dark, so I took my little (not as bright) light and pointed it down a bit, from above, which gave the shadows some variety. Here's what it looked like in my shadow box:

Orderly Breakfast

 

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

These eggs were surprisingly bright orange! And they weren't even the super expensive ones. I thought they paired quite well with the yellow teapot. : )

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 ->

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.

The Importance of Variety in Dishes

 

Click Here to Purchase - $750 - 12x24in - oil on panel

This wide format never looks great here, so please click on the image to see larger. I'm quite happy with this one.

Particular Pears

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 8x6in. - oil on panel

I don't often paint in a vertical format. For some reason it's harder for me to compose this way. But these pears insisted on it.

Watching the Weather

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

And now a look at the weather, from our local captain and his little mate. And their stack of bowls...

Constructing Apples

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil - "Constructing Apples"

This is an example painting for an ArtByte (online tutorial) I've been working on. I recorded it and will be sharing that too at some point. : )

Overseer

 

Click Here to Bid (8x8in. - OIL - $250 )

I have just one more painting to show you before we head out on vacation. One more peony. Happy summer everyone!

The Procession

 

Click Here to BUY (10x10in. - OIL - $400)

I forgot I had this one last apple painting sitting over on my big shelves. It's a 10x10in vs. the little 6x6's I've been doing. I know, huge! This one was quite a challenge. Each apple is in different light, and two are partly behind blue glass. Actually, I'm quite proud of that top apple - it took several tries to get the bottom half to look right, but it finally happened. Oh, also, I got the tiny little yellow shot glass recently at Goodwill. This is it's debut role.

The Yellow Pitcher

 

Click Here to BUY ($1000 - 12x24in. - OIL)

Once again, this horizontal format just doesn't show well online, so PLEASE click the image to view it larger. I was so excited when I came up with the composition, and am really happy with how it turned out. I used brushes, knives and a squeegee, so it has lots of fun texture. Thanks for looking. : )

Time to Eat, Junior

 

Click Here to BUY (6x12in. - OIL - $300 - click image to enlarge)

This wide format never shows up well here, so make sure you click the image to see it bigger. I've had this pink pig for a WHILE - a student gave it to me years ago. And I have so wanted it to make it's way into a painting, but it was just a little too big for 6x6. So today is the debut for Mrs. Pink Pig, mother to Junior here, who has been playing with his shiny ball instead of eating his lunch.

Winner by a Spoon

 

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

I'm trying to go simpler with my compositions. I think they make stronger statements. But they're actually HARDER to come up with!!

While I was taking a break from painting, I made some improvements to my new studio. The room(s) I'm using is "supposed" to be a second master bedroom/bathroom. The bathroom has a huge walk-in shower that is really a waste to me, as we have 2 others in the house. So I made it into a horizontal storage area for larger wet paintings on panels, using wood and wire shelving. Below is the view (click to enlarge) walking into the bathroom (top, left), turning right (bottom, left), and then into the "shower," (right). God forbid anyone ever turns on the water in there!

After I built this, I was finally able to unpack the rest of my crap from my old studio. And I found quite a few larger paintings! In fact I filled my entire new rack with them. So I suppose I'll need to start selling those if I want to paint any more.

Color Options

Click Here to Bid (6x6in. - oil on board - starts at $100)

And now back to oil. It's REALLY interesting going back and forth between oil and gouache. One big difference is the drying time. Because oil dries very slowly, one can really play around with edges of things, right on the surface (panel/canvas). But it's the quick drying time with gouache that I really like too - that colors go down and dry almost immediately, which prevents any mud from happening inadvertently. I find I have to be a lot more careful with oil - really planning out my strokes carefully. Whereas I have more freedom with gouache because it layers easily. That said, I am learning that there are limits with gouache too.

Civilized

Click Here to Bid (6x8in. - starts at $100)

I had to try this one twice before I was happy. So much for my confidence of yesterday! Sheesh. What do they say? Pride go-eth before ... something. I can't remember.

For some reason this inspired me to go through some old files, and I found this one ("Gather Around" 6x6in. - sold), in which I used a very similar little white vase. I lost the original vase in the fire, but I'm sure I was happy when I found the new one! I need to use it more often. And figs.

Lemons in Glass

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

We bought a bunch of extra lemons from Costco recently because ... I'm not sure why. We needed like 2 of them. So now the rest are painting fodder. I'm sure they're excited about that. Until I start cutting them up ... which will happen.

Lemanticized

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

This is the last of the lemons. To see other lemons I've painted (including a couple of things that just include lemon in the title) go here.

I am currently packing for another trip into the Sierra's. This means I'll climb up into the mountains with art friends and all my gear and paint landscapes for a week, with absolutely no access to internet or running water, sleeping on the hard ground, bathing in a glacier lake, and apparently, this year, being eaten alive by mosquitoes. It's ... fun. Really!

Orange Crew

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

Coincidentally, I painted two orange versions for this series too (along with 2 blue's). This is the first one. Painting this one was quite a challenge, and it was the lighting that was hard. You might notice that some things are in a direct light, but the sailor is less so. You'll see in tomorrow's painting that the value of the yellow coat is actually lighter than the orange pig, but because of where they are in the light, the coat had to be a little darker. Honestly, there are so many objects in this, I should have painted it larger than 6x6. But you know ... habit.

Salt the Asparagus

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

I painted this today. All day. It's six by six inches, and it took all day. Amazing, right? So, getting things to look good with a palette knife isn't easy. Apparently I got lucky with the first one!! Or maybe I just have to be more selective about my subjects. And guess what, it wasn't the asparagus that was difficult! It was the bowls. I struggled and struggled with them, and then finally used my palette knife to scrape it all off, and started over. I think in the end the bowls were all brush. But I'm finally happy with it.

I've done oodles and oodles of abstract collage lately, and I think I'm finally ready to offer them up for sale. I experimented today with getting good images of a couple. I found that scanning was best, although no matter what I tried I couldn't get the oranges to come out right. In the image to the left, the middle piece is a brighter, more saturated orange. And in the right one, the three red pieces are actually orange. Is it my scanner? Is there a better way to do this? Does anyone have any experience photographing collage? I would really appreciate any suggestions. Thank you!

Pumpkin Patch

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

Recently I started a painting of a German city-scene and got interrupted right in the middle. It was also right smack-dab in the middle of its "ugly phase." It sat on my easel for days after, very distinctly NOT calling to me. So I finally went and got something - anything! - else to paint. Eventually I'll get back to the city-scene. But for now, pumpkins.