Still Life In Copper

oil 10X10 inches magnify/purchase info I've been trying out a new painting surface. I purchased some MDF panels and prepared them myself with gesso, muslin and acrylic paint. The texture is very different than Raymar's smooth cotton I'm used to. So far, I like it. IN OTHER NEWS: At the Holiday Treasures reception on Balboa Island last Friday night was very happy to have received an Honorable Mention for my painting "Watermelon Wedges" from Juror Jean Stearn. Thank you, Jean and Debra Huse Gallery! My apologies for the blurry shot below. Software changes prevented me from loading pics from my iphone. But hey, look! My wrinkles are gone!

Copper Pot

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase Back to my ledge series. With this piece I did something I rarely do. I painted it twice. The first go-around I didn't listen to that little voice in my head saying, "Might be too squeezed up top." I forged ahead, and right on through till at the end, sure enough, it's too squeezed up top. (It has to be either high or low, not in the center.) I was so happy with how the objects were painted, I couldn't bring myself to wipe it off. So I painted it all again, which to me, is torturous! I still like that first lemon. Need to get a ban saw, cut it out and glue it on the second painting! Ha!

Mighty Mandarin

oil 12x9 inches magnify/purchase Over the weekend I attended a workshop taught by Qiang Huang. My friend, May and I had a great time, and though I have been painting a while, I learned so much! He is an effective and methodical instructor, breaking down painting into 5 basic steps: placement, value, color, modeling and consolidation. Most helpful to me was how to keep darks transparent and lights opaque. A simple tip I had not heard elsewhere: rub a very thin coat of linseed oil on your blank canvas to ease the application of paint, then use a soft brush to paint in your darks. Below are pics of my set up and value stage, then Master Qiang at work.

Old Treasures -sold

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches
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Here is the finished painting posted yesterday. The striped cloth proved to be too distracting, so I carried the burgundy all the way across. The books have a very solid feel, and I especially like the tear on the cover. I may add some more bright yellow to the sunflowers. It's amazing how colorful they were even though they were dry.