Summer Fruit -SOLD

oil 8x8 inches Purchase info here. Here are a couple of my favorite things to paint; light shining through oranges and juicy ripe strawberries. It has been a rough few months for me with a reoccurring illness. I've been able to paint in between when up to it. I'm still not out of the woods, but hopeful. Meanwhile, some very GOOD news! My painting "Bloom & Sparkle" is on it's way to Fish Creek Wisconsin for The American Impressionist Society's National Exhibit. I feel very grateful to be included. Peninsula School Of Art, Fish Creek Wisconsin, Sept.27-Oct.28th. Also recently Associated Artists of The Inland Empire awarded me Best of Show in their Annual Fall Juried Show! More details on that in my next post.

Rooty Tooty Fresh & Fruity -a still life painting in oil

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase info After church on Mother's Day my husband and I had lunch at The Local Baker in old downtown Upland. Years ago I painted one of their pretty fruit tarts so it was time for another. I'm very happy with how this turned out. It's a cheerful painting.

Quick Fruit Demo -sold

oil 6x6 inches click for purchase information Last week I taught an introductory oil workshop for my watercolor students. We had a lot of fun. It's hard to describe their excitement when they saw how you can wipe off what you don't like and repaint! This is the first of two demos. I tried to keep it really simple.

Spring Berries

oil 8x8 inches click for purchase information Inspired by our recent warm weather, I painted this high key piece more than a week ago. My mother was hospitalized last week, so going back and forth left me no time to paint. She's doing better now and I got back to my easel yesterday. I painted all day. Felt really good and I'm very happy with the result, which I'll post next.

Berries -sold

oil 6x6 inches
click here to bid

Not much to say about yet another fruit painting. It was a nice diversion from all the chocolate. Now I'm doing some work with a military theme. More about that next post.

Cherries, Berries & Greens SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

For this painting I cut some creeping fig off a fence in our backyard. The deep reds and blues looked great on the soft green surface, but the green on green proved challenging. I stuck with it and I'm very happy with the result.

Oranges & Blues SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

This big blue salt shaker caught my eye at a local antique shop. In this set-up the orange on the salt shaker side and top pulled it all together.

Jar, Freesia & Fruit-SOLD

oil on canvas panel 8x6 inches

sold

Three friends who take watercolor classes from me came over and watched me paint this morning. We had a lot of fun...and food...(it's all about the food.) I offered them "brunch with entertainment". Above is the result. The jar was requested subject matter, and a good challenge. It has been a while since the last jar. I really enjoy demonstrating, but this week I've learned that while I can paint and talk at the same time, I may not be doing either at optimum level! I'm ready to go alone into my little paint cave and stay there. And I am done with freesias, strawberries and off-white backgrounds.

Spring Demo

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

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While they seemed friendly enough, Associated Artists made me paint as fast as I could, and in the dark! (See below photo for proof.) Since they were so mean, :-) I spent this morning trying to rescue my painting. In case you were there, no, there were no blueberries in the painting when I started. I forgot them when I set up my still life...probably because nobody offered me any cookies! Photo below is by my friend Mary Jo, who managed to get me (8 feet tall now, apparently), my set up and the gigantic screen all in one shot. Whew!

Fruit & Freesia II

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
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Same favorite objects as a few days ago...but a different arrangement. Here the flowers become part of the sugar bowl shape. The background white is also a bit warmer.

Fruit & Freesia -sold

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
Here are some of my favorite objects to paint, all on one canvas. Lately I really enjoy using the clean white surface and background...makes all the color look so bright and crisp.

Oranges & Blues

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
SOLD
Well, I missed two days of painting and posting. Sometimes other things are more important than paint on canvas, but painting has become so habitual for me that it feels like something is "off" if I haven't painted. I was so glad to get back at it yesterday.

These oranges are from Orange County where we visited family on Saturday. I paired them with the complementary blue cloth and blueberries remembering also the elements of "line, dots and areas." Yesterday's sorry attempt is below, but I'm quite happy with today's above.


Being backit, most of the orange was in shadow. I decided I wanted a bright, fresh and clean look with more blue in the surface cloth. The stems and leaves are successful, but the orange is perhaps a bit larger than life size, which makes it less convincing. I added more oranges in today's painting to make them smaller.

Baby Lemon & Blues SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

This one is more sensible than my last post. I loved the lemon yellow and deep blue color combination. The creamy yellow surface gives the painting a soothing feel. Custard maybe...with blueberries and lemon and a mint leaf garnish!

Demo At Artists of the High Desert

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
Here's my demonstration painting for High Desert Artists--a friendly bunch who share a pot-luck lunch before their demonstrations. My kind of people! Food is good. Not wanting to venture into uncharted territory in front of people, I chose subject matter I've been working with for the last few days. It was too much fun painting and talking at the same time...my two favorite things to do!

Viki the orchid loving artist won the raffle, and chose "Three Little Orchids". Thanks, High Desert Artists, for your warm hospitality.

Blueberries & Peach-sold

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
click here to bid
I love how this painting turned out. A long time ago I read on Qiang Huang's blog that a good design has lines, dots and areas. Blueberries are deep blue dots just as they are, so I added the mint leaves counting on a few veins for lines. Even the peach has a line, so I made it evident. The viewer's eye moves all over the painting, enjoying the shapes and fresh color.
Tomorrow I'll be demonstrating for Artists of the High Desert, 16930 Main St. Suite 3 in Hesperia. If you're in the area, come out and join us. Potluck and meeting begins at 11:00 and demonstration follows.