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.