Shiny Things

 

Shiny Things  oil 6x6 inches

Purchase info here.

Little bottles and other shiny things that sparkle.  Fun to paint!

Balancing Act -a still life painting in oil

oil 8x16 inches magnify/purchase info For this one I used a daylight bulb to supplement my smallish north light window. I toned with a loose uneven gray wash and purposed to paint a vignette, letting the subject disappear into the edges of canvas.

Sandy on the lookout. Apparently she thinks my guard is down while photographing my painting, so she's helping by watching the gate for intruders. Always a big help!

Three Times Three -a still life painting in oil -SOLD

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info Our camping trip was great. While I get back to normal, here's a painting I did last month but never posted. These little dried pomegranates have made it into more paintings than I can count. They seem to be just the bit of color I need. MORE ON BRUSHES: Last post I realized that by comparing Rosemary's Master Series to Silver's Bristlons it was like apples to oranges. I suspect Rosemary has a line of bristle or synthetic bristle that hold a chisel shape nicely. I only intended to discuss how important it is to consider the different types of marks made with various brushes. Recently I was asked via email how I clean my brushes, since they last so long. So here's what works for me. First, I use turpenoid to get as much paint out of the brush as possible. After trying three different brush soaps, Jack Richeson's Linseed Studio Soap works best for me. I dip the brush in the soap and scrape the excess off on the rim of the jar. Then I work the brush on the bottom of my sink, quickly turning it over, back and forth pushing it into the sink while adding just a tiny bit of warm water. (Don't push it around in a circle. That will ruin the shape.) When it looks like no paint color is coming out of the brush I do the same movement in the warm water to rinse. Then with some hand soap in my hands, I rub the handles to get them clean. Then rinse the whole brush and dry with an old towel, squeezing the excess water out of the bristles, and shaping them. I lay them flat to dry. I used to do this after every painting session. But now if I know I'll be using the same brushes the next day, I just get all the paint out with turp. I try to make sure I don't leave brushes around that haven't been washed. I've heard Murphy's Oil Soap works for a lot of people, but I don't like the smell. Please let me know if these practical tips are helpful, and I'll keep them coming.

Surrounding Red

watercolor and gouache approx. 12x9 inches magnify/purchase A break from my ledge series. I don't have a good shot of my recent ledge piece, so I offer this little watercolor in the meantime. I did this one a while back at my Wednesday night paint/talk/laugh group. I picked up the geranium and lavender at Home Depot on the way, then borrowed the pots and glass from my friend, Martha's still life collection. Why the little oil can? I aimed to combine contrasting textures: plant, ceramic, glass and metal.

Colman's Mustard

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase Motivation is high. I have a partial answer to the relentless question, "What am I going to paint today?" Answer: three things on a ledge. This is the second in the series.

Bottles & Corks -sold

oil 8x8 inches A few years ago I used these bottles as the subject for "Bottle Necked." I painted this piece for a collector in Maine who wanted something similar. Wine labels are an art in themselves. It's a lot of fun to include them in a painting. Their color along with the shiny glass and contrasting cork texture makes for an interesting piece.

Old & Dusty Galleano

oil 9x12 inches Click to Purchase I paint what excites me. Sometimes I'm surprised by what excites me. Here, bottles and fake grapes are covered with a hearty layer of dust. The scene had an old world feel to it. My scruffy bristle brush made nice rough edges where I wanted them. Drawing the bottles, I used Roos Schuring's mirror trick to check for accuracy. Worked wonders. This shelf is outside, in the carport at Galleano Winery. Painted from a photo reference.

This painting is available at Vander Molen Fine Art, Arcadia, CA

Reds With Bottle

oil 8x6 inches
click here to bid

This favorite little recycled glass bottle came from a gift shop in Yosemite. In this painting I played with the blue-green and red color scheme again. I found a linen panel in my studio and gave it a try. I think I prefer my usual smooth cotton.

Tapatio, Tomato & Taupe -sold

oil 8x6 inches
private collection San Juan Island, Washington

I thought about naming this one "Fiesta" because the tomato looks so lively, but I just couldn't resist all those T's. Here's another: Thanks for all your comments. I appreciate every single one.

Still Life With Wine Bottles -SOLD

oil on canvas panel 10x10 inches

click here to bid

Okay, I confess. I like cheap wine 'cause the labels have cool designs. This set up was a playground of color for me. Maybe it's a little over the top? The accountant's comment was "Wow, that really catches your eye." (Hmmm.....? ) The red grapes are a virtual rainbow of colors and the photo just doesn't do them justice. The hunk of bread is leftover from Crab Cooker (So Cal people, you know what I'm talkin' about! Yum!) I found out you can keep painting stale bread and it looks just like fresh bread. Handy to know.

Three Cokes -sold

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

click here to bid

The glass and bottle caps are my favorite parts of this one. For the dark coke color I'm using alizarin permanent, ultramarine blue and cad red medium. What a fun combo. Love the deep color variations you can get.

Backlit Coke SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x4 inches

private collection Louisville, Kentucky

Coke is celebrating its 125 year anniversary, and has put out these classic little glass bottles. The color intrigued me most. I quickly found out the unique shape, especially viewed from above was VERY difficult to draw accurately. (Try it.) A very recognizable shape like the human body, if something was a little off even an accountant (Hubby) could tell. The painting was finished, and I liked it. But I decided he was right. Dang those accountants! I tried to fix it, wiped off in a huff, and started over, measuring, drawing, wiping, measuring, drawing, wiping, etc. It's a curious thing: the painting can be rough and loose, but the shape has to be accurate. I do like the result, but it's still about the color.

Pink Daisy, Little Bottle

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
Spring is here in Southern California. In spite of the recent colder temps some of my bulbs are blooming and the calla lilies too. Must...paint...flower!

Three Little Bottles SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

Glass is appealing to me as a subject because of it's obvious sparkle and shine. In this set up I also liked the way the bottles infuenced each other's color....and then there's the light coming from behind between them. Fun to paint.

Bottled Hibiscus SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches

This pretty little recycled glass bottle came from a shop in Yosemite. You can't see much of it here, but it's sure to show up again in future paintings. This painting was interrupted about half way through by ...UGH...a dentist appointment! I had to finish after dark which left none of that nice sunshine needed to photograph it. This is my lame excuse for not posting yesterday. Blame it on the dentist...or any of the five (count 'em) health related appointments I've had in the last 48 hours. Getting older is the pits, but I can still paint! Can't complain.