656 Garbo Dreams

Garbo Dreams

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     In my love of painting faces, I come back again and again to Garbo. Did you ever notice she has a little cleft chin? Is that an imperfection or does it make her more perfect?

 

662 Gingko Branch

Gingko Branch

oil on canvas

6x8"

$120

     At this time of year our Gingko tree is loaded with pretty little leaves. They make a delicate, ruffly pattern I enjoy painting. Soon they will turn bright yellow and fall, covering our yard with yet another beautiful pattern.

     I have spoken of the Gingko in earlier posts. It is a remarkable tree. (I think it possesses magical properties.)

     

 

658 Mandarin with Leaf

Mandarin with Leaf

oil on canvas

8x10"

$200

     A single mandarin is not much going on in a painting. As simple as it is, it took some effort to paint anyway. 

 

657 Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird

oil on canvas

6x6"

$90

     I love to see that splash of bright blue when they fly low across the yard. This bluebird is a member of the thrush family. In this painting he is perched on the rim of the birdbath, a favorite spot for him to rest and for me to watch.

 

660 Marlene in a White Hat

Marlene in a White Hat

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     It is funny how difficult it is to paint a face at a slight angle. Your eyes and brain just naturally want to straighten everything up, so I think Marlene might not be lined up as perfectly as she should be.

     Too bad I had to paint her hollow cheeks so dark,  but she just was not herself until I did.

     She was so amazing in the old movie, Judgment at Nuremberg.

 

655 Little Finch

Little Finch

oil on canvas

8x8"

$160

     We love the birds that come to our bird baths, especially the ones who turn to give you a sardonic smile. We laugh when they splash wildly and happily in the water. This one is saying, "Doesn't take much to amuse you, does it?"

 

654 Brooks

Brooks

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     I love painting Louise Brooks. Have done her several times and will probably do her again. She and Greta and Marlene are my top favorites.

 

652 Persimmon Fadeout

Persimmon Fadeout

oil on canvas

8x16"

$320

     These are last year's persimmons. In fact, I painted this last year and am posting it only just now.

I was trying for some perspective to show the distant persimmons very distant and fading out. Don't know how well it worked, but I love painting the little orange fruits.

     Persimmon season is coming. I can see them on the tree down the street. Soon new ones to paint. And eat.

 

649 Oregon Apples

 Oregon Apples

oil on canvas

8x6"

$120

     What a gift to be able eat an apple you picked right off the tree! But before you can eat it you have to photograph it for later in the studio.

     So glad to be going again to Oregon again next month to see loved ones. I also get to eat fresh blueberries while I am there.

     

644 Red Point Maple

Red Point Maple

oil on canvas

10x8"

     A very tall Red Point Maple grows in my yard. It is a joy to see it in all its colors throughout the year. As I observed it last year I was charmed by the small branches of colorful leaves. So pretty just hanging daintily and slowly changing day by day. 

     It sure drops a thick layer of leaves in the winter.

 

636 Persimmon Pile Up

 Persimmon Pile Up

oil on canvas

8x16"

     These are the same persimmons as in Fuyu Family, but it is not the same painting.

     I love painting little orange fruits like persimmons and oranges. Just about the time I think I have painted enough of them, another harvest comes and I must paint again. 

641 Cut Bartletts

Cut Bartletts

oil on canvas

9x12"

$238

     Paint them whole or sliced, lying down or standing up straight, with stems or without. Pears have so much to offer. Especially that pretty little star when you cut them across.

 

647 Oregon Morning

Oregon Morning

oil on canvas

9x12"

$270

     

 The morning light hit the low hills across the meadow, making them glow. Only a few minutes later they were a different color, and that went on all morning. One might think I exaggerated the bright color in the painting, but I did not. Such a fine way to enjoy your morning coffee.

646 Hwy 20 Hill

Hwy 20 Hill

oil on canvas

12x12"

$360

     I am studying landscapes. Not strong in this department.

     It is fun though to go on field trips, taking a picnic lunch and the dog, to gather material.

     This scene told me I did not know how to paint clouds. I enjoyed researching that and found that there are many, many, many ways.

     This view along Hwy 20, near Bridgeport, is a typical California scene at this time of year.

 

645 Mendocino Cliff

Mendocino Cliff

oil on canvas

12x12"

$360

     I am enjoying learning about Tonalism, so I am trying my hand at it. I hope to do more because I find it very interesting and moody. I am also trying the new thing for me which is landscape on square canvas. I like this one. I think it is cute. (Can something be both cute and moody?)

     

 

642 Resting Deer

 Resting Deer

oil on canvas

16x12"

$422

     I looked out and there she was under my window, looking right at me. She hung around while I got my camera and then lingered even longer as the morning passed. I left her alone to let her rest awhile.

638 Cherry Bowl

 Cherry Bowl

oil on canvas

8x8"

$140

     This is the final painting of last summer's cherries. I painted this one on an old canvas that had been washed down so many times I did not know if paint would even stick to it. It was pretty slick. I had a little trouble with it because of that, but it turned out that the worn out old canvas was good for something after all.

639 Bartlett Pears

Bartlett Pears

12x9"

oil on canvas

$238

     Pears have been a favorite subject of mine since the very beginning of my painting endeavors. They still charm me with their shape, color, stems, variety. Actually, any painting of a pear turns out kind of good no matter who paints it.

637 Ginkgo

Ginkgo

oil on canvas

9x12"

$240

     "I found this on the web:

'The seed of the Ginkgo is used for food, especially soup, the wood is used for religious furniture, and the leaves and nuts are used for medicine. 

GingkoBellarmine Universityhttps://www.bellarmine.edu › faculty › drobinson › Gi... ' "

What a tree!

In the painting the colors are somber, and there is hardly any point of interest, just one leaf among many. It was hard to do, and I thought about washing it down, but something told me not to. I am glad I listened because now I like it.

Molly Meets the Reindeer

 Molly Meets the Reindeer

Colored Pencil on Paper

about 8x10"

NFS

     Around the same time I made my little book, But Not So, I drew this image. Long time ago. I did not have internet readily available then, and I did not know how a reindeer's antlers went actually. I consulted lots of books and I think I did an honest job. It was interesting to learn that the brow tine that goes down the center of his face is only one. It is not a case of a symmetrical pair of antlers.

     I used Piper and Keely from But Not So as my model for Molly. Molly was just as pretty, but I felt that a more recognizable breed was called for here. The image is in honor of Molly, a very good girl.

You can use the link below to buy reproductions of this image from Fine Art America.

https://1-cheryl-wilson.pixels.com/

635 Fuyu Family

 Fuyu Family

oil on canvas

6x18"

$166

     Little orange fruits! I love to paint them. I was so happy to find these at Trader Joe's all carefully packaged so that their crazy little leaves were not scrunched. Sometimes they dry out and break, ruining their perfect beauty for my painting, but not this time. Even when the leaves turn brittle, the fruit still tastes good. I like mine with a wedge of lime.

634 Cameo Crisp

Cameo Crisp

oil on canvas

8x10"

$176

     When I cut into this apple for lunch, I gasped at the beauty of the colors in its glistening cut surface. So I hurried to take some pictures before I ate it.

     It tasted pretty good. It is a Cameo Crisp (never heard of it before). Fujis are my preferred apple, but I like to try new things, and I am glad I did because it gave me a whole new painting. Thank you.

632 Murray

 Murray

oil on canvas

8x8"

$140

     When I began Murray (who lives with Georgette and Elizabeth), I thought maybe I would not finish it because the colors were so neutral. Where would the point of interest be? But as I continued I found him just so beautiful, and now I love the neutral colors. They are beautiful too.

633 Cherries Three

Cherries Three

oil on canvas

6x18"

$166

     Before I ate the cherries, I poured them out on the table and let them fall where they may. I then photographed them from several angles. Now I have so many images to paint. On that day, I could not take a bad photograph. I love when that happens.

     More cherries to come.

631 Spilled Cherries Closeup

Spilled Cherries Closeup

oil on canvas

12x9"

$238

     Summer fruit always yields new paintings. And then you eat.

     Fall is here. I am hoping something beautiful and delicious comes my way.

630 Georgette

Georgette

oil on canvas

8x8"

$140

     Georgette belongs to my friend Elizabeth who I met through Zentangle. We get together regularly with others to tangle. Can you really say a cat "belongs" to someone? If not, then Georgette lives with Elizabeth.

     

629 Crayons

 Crayons

oil on canvas

8x8"

$140

     This is the box of crayons I keep in my studio with all my art supplies. They are fun to use and you never know when a budding genius will show up wanting to spend time with you. And, ah, the sense of continuity with the past, knowing Crayola still makes magenta.

628 Ball and the Jacks

Ball and the Jacks

oil on canvas

8x8"

$140

     As a little girl I loved playing jacks, playing with others, playing alone. My jacks of choice were fat and heavy and my favorite ball was a golf ball. Had to play on a concrete surface in order to get a good bounce with the ball. That equipment was probably too heavy for my third-grade hands, but it was necessary if you took your jacks seriously.

623 Two Red Camellias

Two Red Camellias

oil on canvas

10x8"

$176

     It looks like flowers will defeat me, and still I attempt to paint them. When I see them in real life, they are so beautiful that I cannot resist the desire to paint them, but so often they end up looking amateurish. I cannot decide if this one is good or not. It seems constrained, uptight. I like the stem in the jar though.

 

621 Simone

 Simone

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     Simone Simon, such a pretty one. I liked her in Cat People, a scary and psychologically interesting old movie. Her hair was darker in that movie, but she is blondish here in this photo that I found. Hollywood probably made everybody a blonde at least once.

607 Deer Gaze

 Deer Gaze

oil on canvas

6x12"

$158

     Although the whole family of deer were in the yard, lying about, they would not let me get close enough for many good pictures. I have moved the bird bath in hopes of luring them closer so that I can have more of a clear shot at them this year.

611 California Quail

California Quail

oil on canvas

6x6"

$80

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

How Emily Dickinson expressed the inexpressible!

I think paintings can be like poems. I have recently learned that James McNeill Whistler thought of paintings as musical compositions. I suppose all these means of expression are ways of making connections with others. I hope that is true.

610 Satsuma Branch

 Satsuma Branch

Oil on Canvas

13x8"

$230

     This branch with one satsuma was hanging over the edge of the table. The setup had several oranges and a lovely white teapot, but this little hanging branch is what looked beautiful to me. I especially loved the cast shadow against the table cloth.

608 Allison's Kitty

Allison's Kitty

Oil on Canvas

6x6

$80

     I love cats and love to paint them. This one belongs to Allison and is so very black. It was surprisingly easy to paint his blackness. I used ultramarine blue and transparent oxide red to get the deep, deep black. The white catchlight against the black pupil really makes his eyes live. It is fun to save that until the end. It is like turning the lights on. Great cat.

603 Milo

 Milo

oil on canvas

24x18"

$855

     I tried painting this image of Milo, who lives at Animal Ark in Reno, many months ago, but I was so disappointed with it that I wanted to give it another try. Cougars have the prettiest face in the world, and my first effort was just wrong, not pretty at all. This one is better. 

     

601 Carmen M

 Carmen M

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     Painting teeth in a portrait is not recommended. But how can I paint Carmen without her big smile?

     I never saw her in her old movies when she was not smiling, sparkling, and having so much fun.

600 Brooks

 Brooks

oil on canvas

6x6"

$100

     This time I painted Louise with a slightly different limited palette: chromatic black, cad red light, yellow ochre, and white, of course. I am stunned by the beautiful colors that come from just those four paints. I worked from a black and white photograph and just used the values that the colors gave me.

       

599 Veronica

 Veronica

oil on canvas

6x6

$100

     Veronica Lake, of the Peek-a-Boo hairdo, always seemed so sweet and delicate. She was actually blonder than my painting shows. I wonder if it was natural.

598 Brother Squirrel

Brother Squirrel

oil on canvas

8x10"

$176

     This squirrel has a cute little face all full of such innocence, but his hands have dangerous claws. He must need them in the big world where he is so small. Also he is fast. Davy chased him one day and did not catch him. Thank goodness!

 

596 Pink Carnations

 Pink Carnations

Oil on Canvas

8x10"

$176

     If I said it took two weeks to paint this little gourd full of carnations, no one would believe it. But it is true. I wonder how many times you can wash down a canvas before it falls apart. I must have come close. I had some troubles finding the vision for it and I had grown rusty while finishing up my little book.

     Carnations do not have a noticeable center so you get lollipop flowers. Also I tried using a synthetic brush which is not as responsive as natural bristles. 

     There is, after all, something about it that I like.

But Not So

 But Not So

Children's Picture Book

6x8"

28 pages

$17.99

     So many years ago the idea for this came to me and I have kept it alive in the back of my mind all this time. I really cannot describe the joy of bringing it to fruition at last.

     The story is simple and the images are too, but the process of putting it all together was NOT simple!  My admiration for professional illustrators has grown enormously. They deserve so much credit and appreciation.              

     My book can be found on Amazon, Children's Books. Put my name in the search box, but I am not the only Cheryl Wilson on Amazon. My Animals book and But Not So are my only books that you will find, so far.

595 Jar of Camellias

 Jar of Camellias

oil on canvas

10x8"

$176

     More camellias. Last spring was good for them. Looking forward to next spring, hoping the deer don't get them before I do.

     

594 Pink Cam

 Pink Cam

oil on canvas

10x8"

$176

     I love pink flowers. Red makes a bigger statement, but pink is my favorite, no question.

     I am trying to paint as briefly as I can. I want each stroke to stand on its own and not get lost in overworked places. Fresh!

589 Teacup with Rose

Teacup with Rose

oil on canvas

8x10

$176

     Roses do not last long in my neighborhood because the deer just love them. This little bush grows on an upstairs deck, so it was safe for a few blooms. It looked very pretty in Aunt Hazel's china cup.

 

593 Yellow Zin

Yellow Zin

oil on canvas

8x10"

$176

     What a lovely winter day with lots of snow for the puppy to play in! This zinnia is from last summer. Glad I photographed them while I could. They sure are gone now.

 

592 Monte and Keely

 Monte and Keely

oil on canvas

12x12"

NFS

     How hard it is to lose a loved one. When our yellow lab Keely left us, we had Monte, a pup mix, to help us through the grief. Now, years later, Monte is gone and we have no new generation to comfort us. 

     He loved Keely and I always treasured this photo of them together. I painted it and I am pleased with it, but it was hard.

591 Kitchen Sunflowers

Kitchen Sunflowers

oil on canvas

11x14"

$338

     These big ol' sunflowers were a gift from friends to warm my new kitchen remodel. I knew immediately that I would try to paint them because they would serve my still life endeavors. I tried to see less (squint) and connect shapes. Such a lot to learn, even after you think you know everything there is to know.

     The kitchen looks good and the flowers looked good in it.

590 Fox Squirrel

Fox Squirrel

oil on canvas

8x10"

$176

     When we moved to town, we made a new friend, the fox squirrel. Where we lived before we had gray squirrels and Douglas squirrels (so cute!).  We think this guy is pretty cute too.

     The canvas had a mishap that affected the surface quality. I had put it in the freezer to keep it fresh until the next day to finish it, and the freezer breaker switch flipped and the freezer defrosted on my canvas overnight. I thought it would be easy to repair, but it was not. The marks still show. I have decided to accept them.

587 Traveling Raspberries

Traveling Raspberries

oil on canvas

9x12"

$238

     These raspberries are from a bush originally from Oakland, CA, the yard of the the sister of my friend Jay.  I planted them at my old house, and then when we moved here, I brought them with me. They are doing fine because the deer do not eat them. 

     Painting raspberries is a good thing because as they continue to ripen and fall off, I can just pick them up and pop them into my mouth.

586 Sunflower Challenge

Sunflower Challenge

oil on canvas

6x6"

$80

     It has been quite some time since I participated in the DPW Painting Challenge. I should do it more often because it is such a good discipline. For example, here I am painting a flower, not my best thing. That is OK. It is good for me.

     This particular flower grew volunteer in my yard, so, naturally, I took its picture and I am glad I did. I needed it for this challenge.