This next week I'm going to be painting a lot of grapes for an upcoming show. It will be a lesson on how to use the same subject differently in various compositions. I am also hoping that it will be interesting to play with brushstrokes and the background too. My intent is to make the scenes lively and playful, so that you're not just looking at food. Disco Dancing 5" by 7" oil on canvas board Buy with PayPal
Crockery These 3 compositions have been on my to do list for a while and I kept skipping over them. I put my foot down and got to it. This one I started a week or more ago but finished off today.I kept it looser so I could play up the reflections and highlights. "Crockery" 6" by 6" oil on canvas board Buy with PayPal I detailed the strawberries in this one because they are the main feature and also in the foreground. The jam label was also fun playing with the relief of the letters instead of just writing it out. "Strawberry Jam" 6" by 6" oil on canvas board Buy with PayPal I wanted to keep this one simple because of the overhead dramatic lighting. The cream jug is the main star in this composition and the strawberries are the back up singers. "Strawberries and Cream" 6" by 6" oil on canvas board Buy with PayPal
On the weekends I do a couple hours of photo shoots to come up with ideas for potential compositions to use in my work the following week. This is usually because I use flowers and they never look the same day to day. Many get shelved and I bring them back out later. This was one of those that kept getting put off. I'm glad I did it in the end. Floral 053 6" by 6" oil on canvas board SOLD
I had the house to myself once again (except for the three crazy dogs that drive me insane) because after a four day mini vacay from school (PD Day+weekend+Family Day), the kids were back. I managed to get work done. Yay! White Orchids 6" by 6" oil on canvas board Click to Buy One Slice 6" by 6" oil on canvas board Click to Buy
I've been wanting to do this for a little while. Sometimes I manage to catch myself before I get too far into a painting and sometimes there are large gaps. This one I managed to get a few shots in so you can see what it starts out from (well, that would be a white canvas) to where it ends. There was a few hours in between photo 4 and the last because I have a tendency to fiddle, sometimes make rash decisions and have to fix them or take painful amounts of time to go over and over until I can't stand the sight of it anymore. This painting wasn't any exception. In the end, I like it. Hope you do too. Floral Symphony 050 9" by 12" canvas Click to Buy
These two were from the same photo reference and you may be able to see some crossover in the paintings. 041 6" x 6" oil on canvas board Click to Buy 042 6" x 6" oil on canvas board Click to Buy Although I painted them weeks apart I just finished up the 042 yesterday. It's interesting to see how different they came out.
For the next week or so, I'll be working on flower studies because I'm concurrently working on a larger floral piece. 048 Floral 6" x 6" oil on canvas board SOLD After working on a larger canvas (30" by 40") (Monday) I noticed a significant change in my brushstrokes (much more free). Here you can see that I have loosened up my brushstrokes (although it's a smaller panel) and am trying larger (flat) brushwork. The background has also gotten darker and I'm hoping it makes a more dramatic effect. I'm enjoying the creamy yellows as opposed the pinks I've been previously using.
These are two examples that I started at the end of last year, finishing up in January of this year. They are dramatic, yet still fun with all that colour. Dark Floral Cluster 12" by 16" oil on canvas SOLD Dark Depths 11" by 14" oil on canvas not for sale
After painting "Orange Slices 036" I think I got stuck on oranges for a bit. I really love playing with the form and all the shine and reflections on the oranges. 038 "The One That Got Away" 5" by 7" oil on canvas board $50 Buy with PayPal 040 "Conversation" 5" by 7" oil on canvas board $50 Buy with PayPal
I decided to go back to pink for a few paintings. "All Aboard" 043 oil on canvas board 6" by 6" Click to Buy Floral - 041 oil on canvas board 6" by 6" Click to Buy Roses 021 oil on canvas board 8" by 8"
If you've ever tried to paint a mug you will easily get frustrated. I have tried many times, studying how other artists handle it, practiced drawing, angles, different handles, and even different shaped cups. To date, these are my best achievements. Ceramics do have fun reflections on them. 039 "Rainbow" 5" by 7" oil on canvas board Buy with PayPal
Given to me by my mom, one is a jam jar and the other a cream jug. They are really cute. I especially like the crazy handle, it actually looks like that. "Cream" 6" by 6" oil on canvas board Buy with PayPal