"The Great Escape"

"The Great Escape"

16" x 20" Oil on panel

(I'm preparing for an upcoming exhibit, so this won't be available for purchase just yet)

I was going through some of my reference photos and came across this one I took of a clementine with its peel all curled up. I 've always loved this color combination - the oranges and blues. It's still a bit weird for me to be painting larger pieces after all these 6x6's a few months ago.

"Sleeping on the Job"

"Sleeping on the Job"

18" x 24" Oil on canvas

(I'm preparing for an upcoming exhibit, so this won't be available for purchase just yet)

After a month of painting tiny 6x6" paintings, I was itching to work on a larger piece. I loved the way the cast shadows here enhanced the composition (which would otherwise be a bit bland). I also really like complimentary colors. I would love to see this in someone's kitchen! 

"Sweet Rewards"

"Sweet Rewards"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I wasn't sure what I was going to paint for my 30th painting in this challenge. I sort of wanted it to be special, a final "hoo-rah" of sorts. Then it hit me... why not paint my absolute favorite treat? I don't indulge in sweets much (I'm more for the salty/crunchy type), but of all things sweet, this ranks pretty near the top of the list for me. I love this time of year because you can find them everywhere! So now I can finally say this 30-day challenge has been met, with "flying colors"! :-)

"No Soup For You"

"No Soup For You"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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In case you don't get the meaning of the title: saltine crackers go great with tomato soup, right? Well, no luck here - all you're getting is the tomato. You probably still don't get it, unless you're a huge Seinfeld fan ;)

"Tomato Reflection"

"Tomato Reflection"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I haven't painted reflections too often. This one was a challenge, mostly because I had a tough time getting the colors right on that upside-down shiny, metal bowl. I hope it "reads" good, but I am happy with the reflection of the tomato in it.

"Egg Face"

"Egg Face"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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It's crazy how the spotlight I use on my subjects gets so hot that it can cook an egg! I had to crack open a new one for this painting since the one I used earlier lost its freshness. At least this one's yolk was normal size :)

"Be My Yolko Ono"

"Be My Yolko Ono"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I felt like painting an egg yolk again, so I used my cute little thrift store plate again. I really love the complementary colors in this one! That plate is actually a little saucer, and yes... the yolk was super tiny in that egg. I think I got gypped.

"The Matchmaker"

"The Matchmaker"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I'm a few paintings behind for my challenge, but I'm hoping to make up for it before the end of the month. I was traveling last weekend, so it made it tough to get a painting a day done! I'm also running out of food to paint, but I thought this matchbox would make a cute subject :)

"The Lone Apple"

"The Lone Apple"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I honestly didn't know what to paint today... I didn't have a lot of free time left in my day, so I figured I'd go with a super simple subject. I always love painting apples anyway :) I really like this shade of green on the background, too. I should've kept a note of what colors I used to mix it!

"Shark Tank"

"Shark Tank"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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This is somewhat of a different composition, but I like how the three pears are surrounding that poor apple, hence the title :-) Those yellows were tough too, but I wanted the red apple to really stand out, so I purposefully chose to go monochromatic with the background.

"Three Amigos"

"Three Amigos"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I had a lot of fun painting these juicy tomatoes! Unfortunately, I ended up with a bad glare again on the right, but I'm happy with this painting. The muted background really makes the tomatoes pop!

"The Perfect Fit"

"The Perfect Fit"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I just had to paint this cup again! I wanted to try a tighter composition for this one, and I like how the pear makes this nice cast shadow on the background. I also like how that shadow is also cast on that apple in the back.

SOLD - "Turnip Trio"

"Turnip Trio"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

SOLD

After going back to my usual pears yesterday, I thought I'd try a totally different subject, one that I never painted before. I had to wipe this painting a few times and start over, but I'm really, really pleased with the end result. I love the green background against the purples of those yummy turnips. 

"Backlit Pears"

"Backlit Pears"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I'm baaaaacccckkk! Okay, after a few days of "iffy" paintings, I'm glad to say that I haven't completely lost my ability to paint. It can sometimes feel that way for us artists when things don't go quite right. When that happens, I usually revert to a subject I really love and am familiar with - pears! I think these are Bosc pears, which are taller and slender, and more yellow. I love how they contrast with the darker, grayer background.

"Any Way You Slice It"

"Any Way You Slice It"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I've painted oranges a few times, but this time I wanted to try and make it looser and more painterly. I had to admit, this was a tough one... But I love the colors here - they kinda make me want to be on a beach in Florida right now!

"Egg for One"

"Egg for One"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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The empty shells were surprisingly easy for me to get right - but that ramekin! Woah, that was a tough one... it still doesn't look quite right to me, so I think I may need to try my hand at that again. I do love the color palette on this painting, though. Feels very soothing.

"Superbowl of Apples"

"Superbowl of Apples"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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Some paintings are just harder to photograph than others, and this is certainly one of those! I'm a day late on this one because the lighting was just awful last night in my studio. But I am very pleased with the painting! This is my first attempt at painting fabric folds, which wasn't easy!

"Leaning Tower of Cups"

"Leaning Tower of Cups"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I squealed with excitement when I came across these awesome vintage diner mugs at a thrift store last year! My favorite color is teal, and it's one of the primary colors in my studio as well. When I saw these ceramic beauties, with their shiny teal interiors, I just had to have them!

"Stir Fry Prep"

"Stir Fry Prep"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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More red peppers! Thought I'd have another go at these beauties. I especially love the juicy shine on the pepper, and the bright background underneath it. All in all, I"m pretty pleased with it.

"Paint The Town Red"

"Paint The Town Red"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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Wow, I had a really hard time photographing this one - so much glare!  I had a fun time painting all these reds, though. They certainly were a challenge!