Hey That's Not Coffee!

 

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

Today I forgot how to paint. It was a disaster. Luckily I'm ahead with my paintings, so I still had something to post.

Lately I've actually been way ahead with my paintings, and I'm finding a pretty huge benefit to this (in addition them being dry and ready to ship): by the time I post a painting, I am far less emotionally involved. If I decide - well, this one really just isn't up to par, it doesn't slay me like it would if I made the same judgement call right after I painted it. And you end up seeing only the work I am most proud of.

Waiting for Tea

 

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

I am completely in love with color, but a simple black and white composition can say just as much. It really proves the old saying that, "color gets all the credit but value does the work."

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.

Got the Blues

 

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

I did a small series of blue paintings on a shelf, of which this is the first. It's amazing how just a few, simple objects and a light can create such drama.

And Breakfast

 

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

This is another object I borrowed from my friend Patti - the ampersand. It had a lot of neat reflections in it, but also reflected a lot of funny light everywhere. I used my artistic license and left some of it out. My guess is you can't tell?

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.

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.

Group Chat

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

My good friend Patti lent me a few things recently to paint. One is this fancy yellow mug. The design of it is prettier in person, but this was all the detail I wanted in the tiny painted version.

Thank you, Patti!

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. : )

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.

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.

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.

Funky Cups

 

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

Here are some colors I've been playing with lately. I was going through my Pinterest boards and noticed that these colors together were a common theme. So I challenged myself to make some compositions with them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

We Want the Fancy Tea

 

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

This is another experiment with the Phillips Hue bulb as a secondary light source. This time I chose a warmer color. It makes for some very interesting shadows inside the cups, and elsewhere.