"Anything But the Pits!"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h
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Admittedly, this is a strange title, but when I looked at these cherries, that's what came to mind!  They are SO BEAUTIFUL!!  It is amazing how everyday it is proven over and over that simple things can be the most affecting.  My goal today is to keep my eyes open for more of those gifts as I travel through the hours.

"Pomegranate" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

I spent all morning working on a little figurative painting, wiped it off twice and got fed up and walked my dog!  I've been wanting to paint some of the beautiful produce that we've raised/traded.  So this is today's result!  Actually, I need to do this more often.  It feels so much more direct--both the process and the painting.  I know some of the best have said that if you paint from photographs alot, you REALLY need to paint from life alot, too.  I believe it!  Besides, I have to admit that it is just more fun to paint from life than to be looking at a piece of paper!  Uh-oh.  I may be opening up a can of worms for myself.

"Sweet and Sour"

6"x8"

Alkyd Oil on Board

$115 plus $10 domestic s/h

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This is a painting I did as a demo in a workshop I taught recently. What a joy to go to the market and have so much color to choose from! Tasted good, too.

"Three Ripe Cherries" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Gessoboard

I'm leading a mini-workshop this week on doing the daily paintings, so I didn't really think I'd be getting any painting done myself, but today it worked out! I won't even go into how much trouble I had with this little guy. . .you don't want to know! However. I painted. That's the point, right? It's been a kick, though. A great group of very interested and talented people who really love to do their art. Doing this has made me go back and review what we covered nearly two years ago at Carol Marine's workshop and THAT has been invaluable! Since that blessed time in Santa Fe, I've really gotten into doing the figurative work and working from photos. Going back to all these notes--and remembering why I took Carol's workshop in the first place--has been like coming home and makes me excited to approach my painting in a different way again.

"Eggshells"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

contact River Bend Fine Art Gallery for purchase information

I've had a bowl of broken egg shells in the refrigerator for the past couple of weeks because I just like the way they look! I decided to do a painting of them this morning--wow! What a challenge! For one thing, it was great to be working from life and trying to see "real" color! But the colors kept changing! I enjoyed working with the brushstrokes, though. One thing I wish I had done was to put in a whole egg to set up a context for the pieces of shell. Live and learn!

"Ready to Plant, Too"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

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I sure appreciate the comments I received for yesterday's painting--thank you! I think one thing that amazes me is that the longer I study the pansies in painting them, the more personality they seem to have and there's just so much to see, I've just begun to scratch the surface. It's too cold to plant them, so I guess I'll get to paint them some more!

"The Last Petals"

10"x8"

Oil on Board

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A friend brought us these beautiful tulips--ruffly and interesting colors. I was getting ready to take them to the compost when I fell in love with the shapes and undulations of the withering petals and decided to paint them. I used a board primed with black gesso which was quite different. I really like how the black background makes me think about the edges I'm working with, but sometimes find it a challenge to get the intensity of color I want. I did have fun with the positive and negative shapes!

"Fruit Salad"

6"x8"

Oil on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

Well, it's hard to think of titles for all these little paintings!! Anyway, I loved working with these colors and the challenge of lightening them up--how to not overuse white in the mix and deaden them, but yet get the value I want without making them a more intense hue???

"Before Lunch" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

I really enjoy how things almost take on a different life when you focus in on them--I think a part of me almost expects them to get up and move! This painting reminds me of the workshop I took with Carol Marine and all she shared with us--good stuff on composition, edges and color.

"Little Flock of Lemons" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

I kept thinking how much these slices of lemons reminded me of birds, hence the title!

With life throwing a big lemon at me, I'm having a really hard time working. I realized I need some time to paint at my own pace without worrying about whether or not I'm posting or what the quality of my work is like. Having so recently joined the Daily Painter's Gallery, I hate to take a break, but it needs to happen. I've decided to not post until March 25th, hoping I'll have learned to "make some lemonade" by by that time. So, I'll see you then. . .

"Cup Full of Cherries" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

I don't really have much to say about this painting--it was fun, a good exercise, and I like some of the passages in it. Too, after such a dark-hued painting yesterday, it felt good to paint something with a lightness to it!

"In A Cobalt Bowl"

6"x8"

Oil on Board

$100 includes domestic s/h

This idea was intriguing to me--the cobalt glass bowl, the red plums, the yellow/orangish cloth and the color of the shadows and reflections. Well! I'm not sure at the moment just WHAT to think! I've been experimenting some with using black gesso and I am curious to try this again on a white-gessoed panel that I can tone a different color. It seems that most of the paintings I've tried on the black gesso, I have a hard time getting the color as light as I'd like--but then, again, on one of the paintings, I really like what the black did. On to the next one!

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"Unstrung" (sold)

6"x8"

Oil on Board

These cherries reminded me of a string of beads that had come apart--so "unstrung" is the name! It was a satisfying painting to paint. Also, this piece and yesterday's really brought back the Carol Marine Workshop I attended last fall. Keeping an eye on edges, trying to see all the color, brushstrokes--all that was really important in her workshop and you can see how well she does it if you click on the link! There is definitely something special about painting something that is set up before your eyes compared to working with sketches and photographs. It's so immediate.

"Plum Happy!"

8"x6"

Oil on Board

What can I say--there's nothing like painting with beautiful reds on a winter day! The plums were gorgeous. . .

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Little Pitcher & Pods" (sold)

6"x6"

Oil on Board

I was going to title this "Little Pitcher from Hell". . I was attracted to the way the shadows fell around the light area of the set-up--and I guess that comes across OK. The biggest problem I had with this was in finding the shadow colors. The pot was sitting on and backed by a creamy-colored cloth and everytime I looked at it, I swear the shadows changed colors! Also, the base color of the pot and the cloth were about the same--which I was intrigued by. It was an interesting challenge!

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"No Two Alike"

8"x16"

Oil on Board

Doing this painting brings to mind "Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing" by Frederick Franck. He talks alot about how drawing/painting is such a great way to be totally present to our world, to really "see" as opposed to just "looking" as he puts it. One of the many great gifts of doing artwork!!

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"Triads"

12"x12"
Oil on Board


A trio of pears and a triadic color scheme. . .this painting has been a couple of days in the making and I didn't get a chance to post it yesterday. I like what's happening around the stem area--the brushstrokes and the interaction the shapes. Pear stems make me think of quail--it makes it easy to imagine them in some sort of conversation we're not privy to!

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"Little Pumpkin"

6"x6"

Oil on Board