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.

Glass Challenge

Jar of Red and Yellow Flowers

8x6"

Oil

$96

DPW $76

     This Challenge is to paint glass, so I did, but you can hardly see it. Such a small part of the jar shows. It was fun to paint anyway. It is almost like painting what you don't see. And then suddenly there is so much to see. A lot of looking goes into painting glass.

     This painting presented me with other challenges. I wanted to paint something with lots of blue, a blue painting. Now I am not completely comfortable with it. Is it too blue? Should there be more blue in the flowers? Too much? Not enough? Wrong blue? Sometimes I just don't know. Maybe blue is not my color.

Persimmon in a Tree

Persimmon in a Tree

6x6"

Oil

$72

DPW $60

     I have had this image in my files for a long time and have tried to paint it a time or two but always ended up dismissing it. I decided to give it one more chance, and if it did not work, then I would dismiss it permanently. I guess I decided it turned out all right this time.

     You might think you could hardly go wrong with that simple lovely shape and that great color scheme straight from nature. Nevertheless, I had to try and try and try again before I gave it the OK.

The Something New Challenge

The Cat in Watercolor

8x10"

NFS

Pure Exercise

     The Challenge was to do something you never do. I have occasionally painted in watercolor, but not  for a very long time--and it shows! But I wanted to try it and show it even if it is a little overworked in some areas and underworked in others. Watercolor is an exciting medium. You really have to cooperate with it, give it its head, don't try to boss it around. Much of the painting experience is like that regardless of the medium. But watercolor! Do any watercolorists ever have a clear idea of what will come out of it when they begin?

Mum Jar

Mum Jar

12x12"

Oil

$128

DPW $102

     A flower in a jar. I do it all the time, especially when all the other flowers in the bouquet are dead except for the little mum that hangs on longer than all the rest. But what was most interesting in this setup was the way the light refracted through the water and glowed on the backdrop. That was the very brightest spot in the whole composition. With that lying very close to the almost black stem and leaves, it made a nice contrast. Visual interest is fun to look for even in the simplest scenes.  

Camellia Surprise Make-over

Happy New Year!

 I begin this new year with a fresh face on an old painting.

Camellia Surprise 2

5x7"

Oil

$70

     Last May I painted a version of this flower that pleased me very much. I had been running into stumbling blocks in my work, and the process of painting one small flower was just what I needed. But then as time went by, I began to see problems with it and thought it was not so good. I finally accepted that it was just not OK, so I gave it a "whitewash" by painting a layer of titanium white over it and letting it dry good and dry. Then I repainted my little flower.

     I suppose some people would think the first one was better than this one. Well, it is too late now. This is the one I have. I think it is more fun to look at, so I am glad I did it. Here is the original: