Blue On Blue

oil 6x6 inches click for purchase information and zoom I always enjoy painting these tiny Dutch ceramics pieces. This time my friend, Elizabeth offered me a selection of her collage papers to place it on. While painting this at the fair, I got a great question from a field trip chaperone. Looking at my usual palette of colors she asked, "If what you're painting is all blue and white, then why do you have all those other colors (on your palette)?" I explained that almost nothing in real life is color straight out of the tube, and that also the color is different depending on whether it is in light or shadow, close to you or far away. I explained how I need the three primaries and white all the time to make subtle variations of color. I showed her quickly with little dabs of color. She was fascinated! This was my favorite question for the whole month of the fair. Basic color theory. It's really very simple. I wondered, why don't we all learn this in school like counting and the alphabet? There's an amazing world of color around us all the time, and the more you understand about color, the more amazing it is!!! UPCOMING EVENTS: Tustin Art Walk and Plein Air Competition Saturday, Oct 19. 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Old Town Tustin.

Sill Life With Doll

oil 12x9 inches click here for purchase information and zoom These objects made a nice muted green and violet color scheme. I also liked the contrasting textures of metal, ceramic and fabric. The doll's small face was difficult. My first two attempts were pretty scary looking. I thought it was funny how just teeny tiny touches of paint could make a mouth or eye go from wrong to scary, to deformed, then finally right. Pardon the glare around the cup handle.

Thoughts Of Van Gogh-sold

oil on canvas panel 12x9 inches

SOLD

This painting is from a few months ago, and was the first time I tried using the Zorn palette: yellow ochre, cad red medium, black and white. When I found the Dutch doll and yellow chair in a thrift shop I thought of Van Gogh. The little mini creamer came from Holland when my mother visited decades ago. I added my oldest paintbrushes, and there you have it. If I hadn't mentioned Van Gogh would he have come to mind?

My brother purchased this painting recently. "Thoughts of Van Gogh" is off to Brighton, CO.