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. : )

Gathering Safely In

 

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

This is the last of the orange slices for now. The title is a line from a song I like. 10 points if you can guess it without looking it up online. : )

Orange Pals

 

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

I've been thinking a lot about friends lately, old and new, and specifically friend groups, and all their dynamics. I think I subconsciously pour my feelings about these kinds of things into my paintings. You can see it in all the groupings of objects. Some get along better than others.

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.

A Juicy Snack

 

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

A few more orange slices. You can see that little white cup again, sneaking around, trying to get closer.

I painted the silly little white cup by itself below to illustrate what I was talking about in this post. The bottom image is the bottom of my palette, beneath which is a simple value scale I made with acrylic paint. You can't see it perfectly because of my photos, but I mixed each color for the cup above the value it corresponded with. This helps me keep them all straight in my mind. I only used the lightest value for the highlights.

And before someone asks how I mixed these colors, I used red, blue, yellow, and white. : )

BTW, I painted it on a little Richeson 4x4in. panel that I got a free sample of years ago. The surface was smoother than the gessobord I'm used to, and the paint application was very different. It seemed to kind of soak up and dry the paint super fast. Weird. Anyone else use Richeson panels?

Orange Delights

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

Here's another one with orange slices. I try not to cut them up the same way every time, although this is my favorite. I think the cups like it too. Especially this white one keeps sneaking over to spend time with them. I get it - they're cute.

A Loose Line

 

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

I used my smaller, zoomable light for this one, and focused it in on the larger cup and a few of the orange slices, like a spotlight. This made it much more challenging as I had to capture the subtle differences between each slice as they moved away from the light. Not to mention the rest of the scene. But man I just revel in this kind of challenge!

Organized Orange

 

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

I got an email today from a gal who says that she "struggles with the middle values." And I can honestly say - me too! Recently I added a new thing to my studio that has helped. I painted a simple little value scale (with acrylic paint) that I put under my palette so that the values peek out along the bottom.

When I'm having trouble, I mix colors with corresponding values right above each value. This helps especially with all the white cups and plates I paint. I also think to myself, when I'm looking at the plate, for example, what like value can I find? Is there a value in the cup that is similar? And every time I mix a new color, I look for like values to compare it too (as opposed to looking at only the colors right next to the thing). I might even put a little dab (on my palette) of the new color next to a color with a similar value just to compare.

I will try and post a photo with paint on the palette to show more of what I mean. Hopefully this all makes sense, but feel free to email me with questions!

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:

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.

Midnight Snack

 

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

These cookies jumped out at me at the grocery store - literally grabbed my arm. Rude I say, but of course I bought them anyway, and set up this little scene. I used my softer, zoomable light to give it a sort of middle of the night indulgent kind of feel. I won't tell you what happened to the cookies afterwards.

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.

Just Tomatoes Please

 

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

Here's another little still life with tomatoes. I usually shop at the Albertsons at the bottom of our hill for produce, but I found another store, a little further away, that has prettier produce. It's worth looking around.

The Red and Green Team

 

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

I've been asking AI for title suggestions, but haven't used any yet. Not that my titles are so great or anything, but I guess that's one area where I'd rather be myself.

My son is 20 and in college and has a lot of thoughts about AI. Mine are still evolving, as is AI I guess. If they ever make a robot that can paint natural media, I'm done for. Or will there always be a demand for human-made art?

Egg Order

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

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

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.