Red Gerbera

Red Gerbera

5x7"

Oil

$70

DPW $60

     Here is a cheerful flower. The sun hit it and made it glow. How often nature dazzles our eyes. So, of course, we want to paint it. I think that must be akin to "gilding the lily." Anyway, I had to paint it, and I got to use all my warms. But they would not have stood out without the cool dark background made up of my darkest blues and greens.

Clementine, Cherries, & Daisy

Clementine, Cherries, & Daisy

8x6"

$96

DPW $76

     This composition is very much like the last post. This one I find more interesting though, probably because there are more objects to look at, and I believe the color carries the eye around the canvas better. It is, therefore, more fun to look at. Another aspect that makes me like this one better is the overall color unity. Mostly warm with some cool; mostly middle value with some light and just a little dark. Aim for a dominant value with a secondary and then just a little of a third.

Some Shastas

Some Shastas

12x16"

Oil

$384

DPW $269

     Flowers. I am starting to feel more comfortable with them. But, as always, there is an issue to deal with. Here, it is white. How to paint white without it looking like a polar bear in a snow storm.

     I used viridian as my main color and just treated it as a value painting, adding the smaller percentage of warm for the daisy centers. I put a lot of viridian in the flowers and they still look white, but I believe I could have put even more for a richer effect and still ended up with white Shasta Daisies.

Flowers #6 Daisies in a Corner

Daisies in a Corner

6x6"

Oil

$72

DPW $50

     It seems I am under their spell. These little flower paintings are just so much fun. In this one, I used a dark blue canvas for a warm yellowish painting. I then used, very sparingly, a touch of red giving me a painting with red, yellow, and blue--the primaries. Limited palette, simple composition, shapes and values, not petals--done! Let me try that again.

Flowers #5 Daisies

Daisies

6x8"

$96

DPW $65

     These small florals are beginning to charm me. I can see why they are so popular with many artists. When I finished this one, I felt like saying, "Let me try that again!"
     I read Carol Marine's Art Byte on what daily painting means to her and found it inspiring and freeing. The artists on DPW teach me so much. Naturally, I have my favorites and really study them, examining the way they use art elements such as line, shape, color, composition, and also some odd little techniques. For example, lately I have been painting on red canvas. You can sometimes see it peeking through and I like that.