"Apples & Vase", plus a video DEMO!

"Apples & Vase"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I've been wanting to do a video demo for so long; I finally bit the bullet and decided to post this one, despite it not being "perfect". I love this little painting, which happens to have one of my favorite color combos - red and turquoise!

Here's a link to the time-lapse video of it on YouTube (some folks have had issues viewing it, so if this happens, let me know!). And for you "daily painter" followers out there, I'm sure you'll notice a Carol Marine influence in my painting approach. That's because she's been a huge source of inspiration for me over the years, and I've studied her work extensively. 

"Magic Carpet Ride"

"Magic Carpet Ride"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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After a mini-hiatus from doing my daily paintings, it's time to get back into the saddle! The good news is that I have been painting; just trying to get a few larger pieces done for some shows I have this summer. Here's one I did to help loosen me up.

"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"! :-)

SOLD - "Rustic Charm"

"Rustic Charm"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

SOLD

I can't believe this is the first time I've painted this mini pitcher. I bought this pewter gem at a garage sale many, many years ago, and I think I paid 50 cents for it. I always intended on using it in a painting (someday!), but never managed to find the right setting. I love it here paired with this pinecone. I just adore the colors and mood in this painting...

"Ready to Mix"

"Ready to Mix"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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You might be surprised to know that I (almost) only use these three colors in all of my paintings. Plus white, of course. But it's amazing just how many colors a person can create with just red, blue, and yellow, and a little white (I love how Carol Marine emphasized this so much during her workshop, too). I think it gives an artists' work so much consistency by limiting the number of colors used in a painting.

"Light Me Up"

"Light Me Up"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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This painting proves that you can truly find inspiration anywhere - even in a lightbulb! I only have a few days left in this 30-day painting challenge, but I plan on continuing, as much as I can fit it into my schedule at least. It's really amazing how much I've learned in just a short amount of time!

"Red High Heels"

"Red High Heels"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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I love these shoes! They're so red, so shiny, and sooooo.... uncomfortable! I'm a sucker for shiny things, and when I saw these shoes, I just had to have them. Except that they're so bad for my feet. I can only wear them when I know I'll be sitting most of the time. Why do us women torture ourselves so much? ;-)

"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.

"Blue Plate Special"

"Blue Plate Special"

6" x 6" Oil on panel

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More thrift store finds! I found this super cute white & blue plate at a thrift store this week, then right before I left, the blue mug caught my eye. On this insanely cold week (-45° F with the windchill! yikes!), I figured a blue theme was appropriate :)

"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.