Green Sticks Together

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in - oil on panel

I did a couple of green themed paintings. Here's number one.

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. : )

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!

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.

Red Rendition

 

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

I did 5 of these red themed paintings, but only 3 worked out. I found it quite challenging to make an all red composition work. I mean, obviously I added some white things for contrast, but still it was hard. I recommend the challenge! And guess what - the challenge for Daily Paintworks this month just happens to be a Color Theme Challenge, just like this. : )

Just a Few Things

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

Tomorrow we're headed out for some much needed camping. We'll be gone about 2 weeks, so I won't be able to ship paintings or prints until around 4/19/26. I apologize for any inconvenience.

One thing I love about camping is - I get bored. And when I get bored I get new ideas - for painting, for sewing, for everything. I imagine it's a problem for young people today - there being so much easy entertainment at their fingertips that they never get bored. Boredom is SO good for creativity. For me anyway. I try to get bored on a regular basis, but camping is the primo version.

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.

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.

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?

Party Cups

 

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

I found this pink stripey cup in Boise when I was there recently. I tried painting it a couple of times, but this is the first one that worked out. I think it's because of the company it's in. I tried with apples before, and my guess is they just didn't get along.

Not for Consumption

 

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

In case you missed it, I recently released a new online tutorial (ArtByte) that is all about painting glass! The idea behind the ArtBytes is they are bite-size and affordable. If you have seen it, please email me with feedback, or leave a review. Thanks!

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. : )

Too Much Cantaloupe

 

Click Here to Bid - 12x12in. - oil on panel

I did this one as a study for a larger piece. It was difficult because the canteloupe kept trying to wander off. I don't often paint canteloupe, and now I remember why. They need to go to obedience school I guess.

Brightens Up the Room

Click Here to Bid - 10x10in. - oil on panel

Ok, this is the last rose painting for now. Also featuring a new metal pitcher I got on ebay. Very simple but I think it adds a lot.

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 ->

Color Conference

 

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

I've been attempting to dye fabric for backgrounds lately, with mixed results. The problem is that the length of time it stays in affects the color, but once you pull it out and wash it, the color is very different from how it looked when you decided to pull it out. But I'm learning. And I like these two (the gray and the peachy strip).

Mostly what I want are less saturated colors. I bought a whole bunch of white cotton fabric and Procion dye to play with. It's fun.