Monday, December 2, 2024

Big Banana Sings Bass

 


Big Banana Sings Bass  oil  8x8 inches
Purchase info here. 

Sometimes I think a still life painting is like a choir.  Every fruit has its own part.  Here, big banana in back sings base, the oranges sing alto and the grapes are sopranos.  When I sang in a church choir years ago the director changed me from an orange to a grape.  I was pretty upset, but soon discovered I had really been a grape all along.  

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Bananas & Grapes

 


Bananas & Grapes  oil  6x8 inches
Purchase info here.

Bananas have a funky shape as far as fruit goes.  I enjoy painting the subtle value differences of their planes.  Black grapes are really a very very dark violet.  

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Lively Lemons

 


Lively Lemons  oil 6x8 inches
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Meyer lemons clipped from our tree last January.  This painting is even prettier in person if I do say so myself!

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Cap On Head

 


Cap On Head  4x6 inches  oil
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This tiny little gem is one of my favorites.  I use mostly Utrecht paint, but Gamblin is a good brand also.  Except fot the tiny caps that drive me crazy.  They are tedious to put back on when I'm in the flow of painting and energy is high.  I even contacted the company about this, and found out I'm not the only one that feels this way.  They'd have to change all of their display racks if they changed the cap size.  Anyway, back to the painting. What I love most is the grungy color on the label.  This tube has been around a while.  

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Cobalt Teal Tube

 


Cobalt Teal Tube  oil 4x6
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Second in my series for the January Strada Easel Challenge, this little gem.  Some days I have just a small window of time to paint.  So I paint small!  

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Fruit Tart

 


Fruit Tart  oil, 6x8 inches
Purchase info here.

Here we have the first painting of the January 2024 Strada Easel Challenge.  Twenty-nine small paintings to follow.  

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Knotts On Green

 


Knotts On Green  oil 6x6 inches
Purchase info here. 

My friend, Mary Jo gave me this old jar of jam.  You could say it's "vintage."  LOL  A few years ago the Knott's label was sold to some big company ("hissss, boooo!") which discontinued its jams and such.  I found out when I could no longer find their boysenberry syrup in stores.  We LOVED that pancake syrup!!! 

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Jam On Aqua

 


Jam On Aqua  oil 6x8 inches
Purchase info here. 

This is the kind of loose painting I get happy about.  Accurate drawing is important, but less than perfect paint application is my goal.  

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

African Violets On Lilac

 


African Violets on Lilac  oil  8x8 inches
Purchase info here. 

A miniature African Violet from my kitchen window sill posed for this one.  

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Pomegranate In Winter

 


Pomegranate In Winter  oil 10x10 inches
Purchase info here.

In late fall this young pomegranate tree in our backyard glows with the most beautiful yellows, golds and greens.   On a warm day in December I set up my paints outside and enjoyed capturing the glow.  

Friday, August 9, 2024

Lemon & Limes

 


Lemon & Limes oil 10x10 inches
Purchase info is here.

This is our napkin basket of old.  Remember the days of basket parties?  I very much enjoy conveying  the weave of natural materials without using a teeny tiny paintbrush to make an exact representation.  My goal is to say "basket" in a painterly way, not a photographic way.  

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Pastel Dust

 


Pastel Dust  oil 12x9 inches
Purchase info here.

Here's a piece I painted last November.  My aim was to get the feel of the dust.  Back in the 80's I did a few pastel paintings.  My children were small and I didn't want oil paint and solvent around.  Back in those days we used real Turpentine which had a mighty smell to it.  This box is about 40 years old.  

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Pick Your Color

 


Pick Your Color  oil 8x8 inches
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A fun piece that plays with color in light and shadow.  Even prettier in person.  

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Olives & Rosemary

 


Olives & Rosemary  oil 8x6 inches
Purchase info here.

Graber Spanish Olives with a sprig of rosemary from our garden.

It has been quite a while since sitting down at my desktop to load, edit photos and post.  Life has been busy with a new 73 lb puppy, two high school graduations, and a fire academy graduation.  I've been painting, but sitting down at my computer always gets put on the back burner. 

 This painting is less blue in person.  If you purchase, your satisfaction is guaranteed.  Check out my return policy by clicking on the link above.  

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Tres Tomates

 


Tres Tomates  oil 8x8 inches
Purchase info here.

Tomatoes posed for me last April in this Spanish style bowl.  

Monday, May 20, 2024

Mums Squared

 


Mums Squared oil 10x8 inches
Purchase info here.

Wow!  It has been a minute since I posted here on my blog!  In early April I adopted a 1 1/2 year old puppy (who is full size!).  She is a sweet doberman/lab mix named Winnie.  We have been busy getting to know eachother and learning what is appropriate behavior and what is not! 
 
I've been painting regularly, but just not sitting at my computer blogging. Last September I plucked these little mums from a backyard container.  I loved the round flowers and the square vase.  It's a sweet little work, not too bold with color, and as always, even better in person.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Apples & Mums

 


Apples & Mums oil 14x11
Purchase info here. 

Oh how I wish I could have gotten a better photo of this one!  Here are apples from our heirloom tree paired with some mums from our garden.  I love the yellow green with the deep magenta. A backlit scene makes for shadows coming toward the viewer, leading the eye in.  

Saturday, March 30, 2024

From The Garden

 


From The Garden  oil 10x10
Purchase info here.

Last August my friend Marj invited me to pick veggies in her garden. Her onions made a nice linear element paired with my tomatoes from my garden.  I love the little brown bits.  The painting has a fresh crisp look compared to this slightly fuzzy image.  

Friday, March 15, 2024

Sweet Peas & Roses

 


Sweet Peas & Roses  10x10 oil
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Last June I painted this one using flowers from my front yard.  The painting has some lovely texture and subtle neutrals that don't come through in the photograph.  

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Dressed Alike

 


Dressed Alike  oil 10x10 inches
Purchase info here.

Painted from life, peaches and roses from my garden.