585 Toyon

Toyon

oil on canvas

8x10"

     Toyon grow wild just over the split rail fence in our backyard. There are only four lining the property line, but I wish they went the whole way. Some people call them Christmas bushes. Very cheery red berries in the winter.

555 Sliced Boscs

Sliced Boscs

oil on canvas

8x16"

$256

     Although bosc pears look quite brownish, they sometimes also have a lovely orangey color that goes well with blue. Because orange and blue are complementary, the orange came out really, really orange, and the blue really, really blue. They could have used a little neutralizing or some split complement work. Aside from that, I love that little star shape in the center when you cut a pear crosswise.

Narrow Ribbon

Oil on Canvas

8x10"

$160

     The marbles are getting easier to do, but the ribbon would not cooperate. I finally just let it have its way.

Little Round Vase

Oil on Canvas

12x9"

$216

     I have painted flowers many times (often in great frustration). Seldom do I create a still life setup to paint. Lately I find I am enjoying it. I wonder what will become of that.

     I used Dynamic Symmetry to help me arrange the objects, and I used the concept of the color triad in a key, like in music. This is supposed to be a blue/green painting in the key of red.

In Blue

Oil on Canvas

6x6"

$100

     If anyone were to ask me who this is, I would have to decline to answer. That is because I did not get the likeness and they would know I fell short of the mark. I did not try to fix it because I always worry about overworking the paint, and besides, as she became someone else I started to like her.

Mandarin on Blue

Mandarin on Blue

Oil on Canvas

6x6"

$72

     Orange and blue. They are so great together they should be labeled as "too easy."

     The little mandarins continue to please and delight me and I seem to need something friendly these days. I will save the challenges for another day.

     

The Amalgam Challenge

Flowers after Lisa Daria

6x6"

Oil

$72

DPW $60

     Jo MacKenzie posted this Challenge on Daily Paintworks. Since I am her fan I wanted to be sure to do it. The challenge is to paint in the style of another artist. Since I am also a fan of Lisa Daria, I knew right away who I wanted to emulate.

     Lisa paints flowers in a loose abstract style. She simplifies the shapes to an extreme reduction and the result is wonderful. I knew I could learn a lot from her, so I was happy to see Jo's Challenge.

     Could I simplify to the degree that Lisa does? Nope. At moments I forgot what I was up to and fell into my own way of seeing. Other times I became intrigued with a lovely little detail and wanted to be sure to include it when Lisa would never have done that. 

     Nevertheless, I believe I still learned something from this Challenge (assignment?). I intend to try for more abstraction and simplification in my next piece. Thank you, Jo and Lisa.