Peony Shadow Touches Plate

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

Here's another peony from my garden. It looked especially good from above, and I used these blocks of blue (paper) for contrast.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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. : )

Big Bird Little Bird

 

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

Here's another thing I borrowed from the lovely Patti - the brass swan. I decided he needed a companion in the painting, and now they are inseparable in my studio. I think some imprinting happened.

Ready and Waiting

 

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

I tend to like orderly scenes. I think it's the German in me. Of course my mother would say that I wasn't orderly as a child. But it's definitely something I embraced as I got older. In my environment and my paintings.

As for the bird I posted yesterday, the general consensus is that it's a Great Tit. Thanks to everyone who emailed me. : )

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.

Orange You Bottles?

 

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

Titles are hard to come up with. That's all I got today.

Rose is Single Again

 

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

You might think this isn't very different from the other rose paintings I posted recently, but anytime the scene includes reflections like this, the challenge of painting it goes WAY up. It almost broke me.

Hogging the Tea

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

I snuck off to Boise with the hubs for a few days. The drive from here is particularly beautiful, especially this time of year. For an artist it's like a visual feast. It's my favorite kind of break from painting. It refills my soul.

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 ->

Reflecting on Reflections

 

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

I painted this same composition as a 6x6 some years ago and always really liked it. This is my redo, as a 12x12. I set the composition up again, although I didn't have a tiny pear like this, so I had to wing that part. I tried to get the light the same, although looking back and forth now I can see it's somewhat different. I studied both - the real setup and the previous painting, and then tried to keep the things I liked and not the things I didn't. Haha, what a goal, huh? Anyway, I learned a lot.

Not on the Same Page

 

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

Theatre Apples

 

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

You can always tell the theatre apples from the normies because they tend to stand in the spotlight. And they revel in how the others talk about their dramatic scenes.

Rehearsal

 

Click Here to Purchase - $250 - 7x9.75in - oil on panel

Painting little pieces of paper like this leaning on things is quite challenging. After almost 30 years of painting I find myself leaning more and more towards whatever is challenging/fun to paint, rather than whatever I think might sell. Haha. I never claimed to be very smart.

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.