Red Circles, Yellow Square

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#020

Wishing everyone a new year filled with inspiration, joy, and a good healthy dose of painterly growth!

Saved Bottle, Cup, & Apple

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#019

My husband and I had a wonderful, but quick, trip to Louisiana and Texas to see our families over the weekend. After three days and 32 hours on the road, I've got to admit it feels great to be home. I think half of the "joy" is simply from being out of the truck!  

I could barely wait to get painting today, so painted the first 2 items pulled from my prop box.... plus, of course, a beautiful little apple from the frig. The lighting was coming from several directions, with the blue light on the left coming from our large window. The bottle is from the molasses I used in my holiday gingerbread men.

Christmas Vegetables

Gifted

#018

Painted this Christmas Eve as a gift.  Didn't intentionally pick "Christmas colored" veggies, but was happy it worked out that way!  Merry Christmas everyone!  Hope your day is wonderful!!

Green Pepper Orange

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#017

Had so much shopping and running around to do, but I was determined to paint something today. My husband picked up a few things from the grocery store so I had some "live" veggies to model for me. This is what I came up with in the hour or so that I had.  Not sure if it really works.  It seems almost a little startling, if a painting of vegetables can be that.  lol      

Happy painting and cheers!

Clouds Over Sweetlake

This is the cloud painting I did earlier in the year.  My step son took this awesome photograph down in South West Louisiana, where the grassy marshland is as vast as the sky.  When I saw it, I knew I had to paint it. Clouds can't be that hard to paint, right?  Boy, did I learn how wrong I was!

This painting took several days to paint because of the drying and layering I had to do.  I do like the outcome, tho; and have sold a couple giclees of it already.  I still have the original for sale on my website, but actually like having it around.

I started another cloud painting several months ago, but haven't been back to it.  If I ever finish it, I'll post that one too.  Have an awesome day, and thanks for stopping by!

Roof Top View

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#016

This painting is from a photo I took in Cedar Key, Florida a while back.  If you've never been there, it would be worth stopping in if you get to that area.  It's an old fishing village, so there's always lots of cool things to paint.... fishing boats coming and going, old docks, seagulls, sunsets, horizons, and outdoor cafes. 

Today I felt like painting clouds and came across this photo.  I take a lot of pictures of clouds!  I like that they can be so dramatic, and there is absolutely no chance that they will ever be exactly the same. If I don't have time to paint another piece for tomorrow's blog, I may share a larger cloud painting that I did earlier in the year.  Stay tuned..... :)

All That's Left

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#015

Over the weekend we had a big holiday party for all of our friends in Big Canoe.  My husband is from Southwest Louisiana, and an absolutely wonderful cook... if I have to say so myself. Well actually, everyone says that. So when he puts out the "I'm cooking" message, people show up!  In droves! This time, he treated us all to his chicken and sausage gumbo with it's homemade roux, piles of fresh veggies, and his secret seasonings. So understandably, 48 chicken thighs and 8 lbs of smoked sausage later, this was literally all that was left.  

You won't hear me complaining! :)

Left:  through my view finder

Right:  the sketch

Lipton Green Tea

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#014

The idea for this painting popped in my head in the middle of the night last night .....  when I was supposed to be sleeping.  Who thinks about tea bags at 2 a.m.?!  I was actually thinking about all the possibilities when painting small, simple, everyday items.   

I tried to "stay loose" with this one, but sometimes that translates to "mud" for me.  And it happened here. Thank goodness for my new "handy dandy" large angle chisel!  :)  What a great tool!  I want to paint something now just so I can scrape the paint off of it.  Can't wait to see what kind of effects I can make with it.  I've noticed that in other artists' work, and love it. 

Thank you again, Carol, for writing a great book and sharing so much advise on tools and equipment!

Reclining Pear

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#013

Ok, ok.  Last pears for a while. I promise. This was painted, of course, on the same day as the others. I painted several that day because of a schedule filled with holiday activities.  My weekend was fantastic and festive, with lots of time spent with friends and family.  This week will be much the same, but I'm looking forward to finding more time for painting.

Happy Holidays and Happy Painting!  

PLU #4419

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#012

Another pear painting.  This one was actually painted the same day as my last two pear paintings (#009 and #010).  Once I buy fresh fruit, I tend to stick with it until it turns brown... or its gone because I ate it! 

For some reason, when I paint several small paintings in one day, I seem to paint tighter and tighter with each one..... and maybe even with a more muted, less brilliant palette.   If anybody has any theories about that, I'd love to hear them!    Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

Holland For Two

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#011

This is a painting from a picture I took several years ago while in the Netherlands. I've actually painted several versions of it.  I was inspired to post this one because of Belinda Del Pesco's blog post today. She wrote about painting from places she'd been and things she'd done ... places that inspired or comforted her, places from the past. She asked if others do that.  I definitely do!  Interiors are my very favorite type of work.  I love that they hold a story or a mystery ... or a memory.  I love how they can capture a moment, and capture an emotion.  

The "place" in this painting is a small room for two where a friend and I stayed.  We were in a beautiful little town named Haarlem, away from Amsterdam, out near windmill country.  Our cozy room looked out over the town square.  When you paint an image like this, it's like you can step right back into it.  It reminds of the fantastical idea of jumping into a chalk painting on the sidewalk.  (I can't help it! I loved that movie!  lol)

Three-Pear Study II

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#010

This was painted directly after the painting I posted yesterday.  I was having such a good time with the pears, I thought I'd stick with them.  This time though, I used Prussian Blue to mix my greens instead of Ultramarine. Wow,  what a difference!  

At first, this one seemed almost like getting zapped by an electrical current, or having someone scrape their fingernails down a chalk board. Yikes! I'm pretty sure the orange under-painting added to that effect.  But now, as I look at it separate from #009, I kind of like it!  Go figure!

Three-Pear Study I

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#009

Pears are so great to paint.  I guess that's why they show up in so much art work.  The shape is almost figurative in nature with its curves and chiseled angles.  Then there's the formative shadows and reflections, the implied movement.... the gesture and posture.  

This painting was done from life.  Below is a picture of my still life set-up through my view finder.  The next picture is what I sketched in with a wash of Burnt Umber.  I also laid in a little white to get a feel for the composition.  I had intended to paint all the warm colors I saw in the pears, but ended up liking the cool colors that were coming through from the light blue hues of the canvas, so I stuck with those.  

 

Here We Go A-Wassailing

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#008

'Tis the season!  Wassail is an amazing thing.  Fresh apple cider, cinnamon sticks, an orange and whole cloves for the wassail ball.... and a crock pot.  If you've never prepared a wassail before, it's really easy. And the kids love to make the wassail balls.  I usually use 2 oranges (or tangerines, or mandarins). Take the whole cloves and puncture them into the orange like a tack (leave the peel on, obviously)....  20 or more cloves per orange. Put them in the crock pot with the cider and several fresh cinnamon sticks. Start it on high until you can really smell the spices.  Then just turn it down, get a ladle and mugs, and you're all set! Everyone seems to love it.  Plus, it makes the house smell great! :)

Why did I include whole nutmeg in the painting?  I just liked the bottle.... plus that's what I'll grate on top of my other favorite holiday drink..... egg nog.  

Doomed

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#007

I don't know which was more doomed today.  This apple from being chopped up and devoured, or my day of painting in general.  Let's just say, it was not the best day of painting I ever had.  I wiped off my first canvas several times, getting frustrated with composition or color.... or, let's face it, creating mud.  Throwing in the towel on that one, this effort was next.   It did not turn out like I wanted.... at all.  But, that's okay. There's always tomorrow.  Thank goodness we can always look forward to that!

Oh, and did I mention that I couldn't get the light right for this picture either. So, please pardon the glare.  

Maybe I'll get a better picture tomorrow.  If so, I'll share that one instead.

Gramma's Flour Sifter

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#006

Going to the local community thrift store is one of my favorite things to do.  For some reason, this particular store has lots of antique kitchen ware. This is one of my recent finds.  I don't know if my grandmother actually had one of these, but if she didn't, she should have!   

There are colors in this painting that haven't shown up very often in my work. I changed my blue from Prussian to Ultramarine for this piece, and didn't steer clear of "pastel-ish" colors....  (I'll go on the record to say, I don't like pastel shades and I don't do pink! ...usually)  

Looking forward to painting more of my vintage kitchen finds!

By The Spoon Full

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#005

Avocados are awesome!  They're great to eat, AND fun to paint.  One thing I notice (and like) about using fresh fruit and vegetables for my daily paintings is that I'm certainly eating well!

Trying to mix the colors for the avocado was actually easier than I thought.  I was tempted to just pull out my Sap Green, but didn't.  And the "red-ish peach" background color was actually supposed to be orange.  But when I started mixing my colors, I stopped when this one started to appear.  I thought it made a pretty good background color for the greens of the avocado, the white plate, and the reflections on the spoon.

Yellow Slipper

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#004

I actually like this one!  I was eating this banana while I was trying to set up a still life.  I had various props out, trying different arrangements, getting confused, and making things way too complicated. That's when I noticed my simple, unassuming banana peel just laying there.  AHA!  

In a way, I guess you could say that this banana peel saved the day!