Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Rosebud in Shadow


Rosebud in Shadow
6x6"
Oil
$72
DPW $50

     This little rosebud was found on the dim periphery of a photograph of several fully blown roses, but it was this small flower I chose to paint. I loved the way it seemed to emerge from the shadows with only a "baby spot" on its little bud casings (What are those called?). The dark, dark you see is pure Prussian Blue, not black. High contrast is always exciting, but must be careful with the edges.


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Yellow Roses


Yellow Roses
8x10"
$160
DPW $112


Yellow Rosebuds
6x6"
$72
DPW $50

     These are supposed to be for the Challenge, Seeing Double. I think I might have not followed the directions to the letter, but it was important for me.  I wanted to paint yellow roses, one with analogous background and one with complementary background. I needed to see the effect of each approach. Here they are. I think the complementary color scheme is more striking (as would be expected), but I like the analogous treatment better. This is purely a matter of individual taste. And that is fine. There is room in the world for both.



Monday, May 14, 2012

The Yellow Challenge


Yellow Dahlias
5x7"
Oil
$70
DPW $50

     This week it is the Yellow Challenge. Yellow is like other colors in that there are warm and cool versions of it. In this painting it goes from green/yellow, a little cool, to orange/yellow, a little warm. Even though the painting is based on yellow, the warm end of the palette, the green makes it a cooler painting with a warm focal point. This is an example of the 25/75% rule. 
     Yellow is such a cheerful color. You can hardly make it sad. I have at least three times the number of yellows in my studio as any other color.


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Tulips Shadow Challenge


Tulips Shadow
6x6"
Oil
$72
DPW $50

     This week's Challenge was to make the shadow a significant part of the composition. My problem was also to make the composition not look like I had cut the bouquet in half and just placed it carelessly on the edge of the canvas. This was a bit tricky because the composition might be working, but when you add the color, all the weight goes there, a little off balance. There are just so many considerations when making a painting. Actually, being a little off balance is not necessarily a bad thing.



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Sutter Persimmon



Sutter Persimmon
5x7"
Oil
$70
DPW $50

     When I find a good tree of "small scenes of nature," I usually enjoy painting two or three in a row and then feel ready to move on until another day. These persimmons are from a tree in Sutter Creek, California, another historic town in the Sierra Foothills. This time, I enjoyed trying to make the dark edge of the fruit, red, as dark as the leaf, green, so that no distinction of color shows. Then with the warm bright orange against a cool neutral negative space, I am pleased.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Persimmons


Persimmons
5x7"
Oil
$70
DPW $50

     I love the genre I call "Small scenes of nature," so I go out into the orchards and climb trees or stop alongside the groves as I travel in order to photograph the beauty. So often nature provides just the color scheme you need as well as the composition. Here we have red and green. What could be better? Of course, there should also be some controlling idea for the painting, the "big idea." Sometimes the idea is not so "big." Here it simply is the light on the main persimmon and the smallest leaf casting a little shadow. Very little "big idea" but very necessary.







Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Flowers #7 Camellia Surprise


Camellia Surprise
5x7"
Oil
$70
DPW $50

     This poor little canvas has been washed down so many times it is getting threadbare. Everything lately has been a disappointment until now. Finally I have one I like and it was easy! After working hours and hours on lousy failed paintings, suddenly I am surprised by the simplicity and ease that produced a success. You just can't figure out some things.
     This flower is from my camellia bush. (Deer don't like them much.) Last year I gave it a good pruning, and this year it is so loaded with blooms that it gave me a pleasant surprise. I really love this flower. It showed up just when I needed it.