Sunflower Song

 

Sunflower Song  oil 20x16 inches

Purchase info here.  

A simple color scheme in yellow, green and blue.  I painted this from life in my studio featuring  a pitcher that belonged to my grandmother.  This piece is in a handsome custom wood frame, dark, distressed with gold lip.  Pictured below.    

Autumn Pieces

 

Autumn Pieces   oil 9x12 inches

Purchase info here.

Of the various pomegranate paintings I did last fall, this is my favorite. I enjoy putting a bit of debris, (like little fallen crumbs) in a botanical like this. Debris gives it a natural, not perfect look.  These are pomegranates from my backyard tree, but an apple from the grocery store.  Here in So Cal last winter was too warm for our apple tree,  It refuses to make apples unless it gets a certain number of cold days and nights.  This painting is so much better in person!   

Backyard Still Life

oil 10x10 inches On a cool sunny morning in February I set up this cheerful still life in my backyard. What a pleasant painting session! That day seems so long ago now. Time moves slowly these days. Im trying to keep busy, stay positive and practice gratefulness. How about you? This painting is custom framed and available through Vanessa Rothe Fine Art, 418 Ocean Ave, Laguna Beach, CA. 949-280-1550 Here are some other pieces that have recently sold at Vanessa Rothe Fine Art:

Little Limes 6x6

Mandarin March 10x10

Juicy Big & Little

oil 10x10 inches Purchase info here.

Granny Got Grapes

oil 6x6 inches Purchase info here. A simple contemporary frame is available for this piece. Email me at karenwernerart@gmail.com

Demo For Anaheim

oil 8x8 inches For a closer look and purchase info, click here. Last night I demonstrated for the Anaheim Art Association, a casual and friendly group. I don't always love my demos when I finish, but I'm rather fond of this one. Thank you, Anaheim Art Association.

Modern Grannies

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info Once in a while I enjoy painting a fabric pattern in contrast with some very simple objects. I love solving the problem of getting values right even though the pattern's colors change within a shadow shape. The fabric texture is a result of light coverage and some scraping back. More fun stuff. Number 24 of my 31 January paintings. I hope you like it. We are nearing the home stretch, folks! Newer paintings are piling up. I paint faster than I post.

Blue Plate Demo

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info I had a great group of students here for a workshop a couple of weeks ago. This is one of the demos I did for them. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Grapes & Granny -a still life painting in oil

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase info Here's a demo I did on the 10th for Associated Artists' Fall Show. I'm a big fan of taupe. It sets off the greens and reds nicely don't you think? (Cad Red M, Cad Yellow L, Ult Blue + white) The white adds value contrast and line. I enjoy painting while people watch. It's not about being in the limelight but just the validation that someone else is interested in what I'm doing, and I really enjoy sharing approaches and techniques with other painters. Thank you to those of you who stopped by!

Heavy Hitter -a still life painting in oil

oil 6x8 inches magnify/purchase info I squeezed out this little painting as I prepared for last weekend's workshop. Strawberry season and baseball season too. Finishing up, it occurred to me that the white paper looked like a baseball diamond. Those infielders better move back. IN OTHER NEWS: I had a great time teaching last weekend. You'll see a group shot below. My June workshop is full. Dates to be announced for a September workshop. Email me if you'd like to be on the mailing list. karenwernerart@gmail.com Next Friday night, April 22nd I'll be out at Redlands Community Hospital for "Evening With The Artists." It starts at 5:30 and is open to the public. Besides the outstanding art, they put on a great reception. So if you're in the area, come on out! Tickets are $25 and available at the door. Proceeds benefit Redlands Community Hospital Foundation.

Fruit Trio -a still life painting in oil

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase info Here's the demonstration I did yesterday afternoon for the Loma Linda Art Association. I was able to finish it during the meeting for the most part, then make some minor adjustments at home this morning. That orange surprised me when I cut into it and saw the beautiful Cara Cara color.

Party Fruit -a still life painting in oil

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info I love painting color in and out of shadow, so the napkin's pattern in and out was extra fun.

Natural Snack 2 -SOLD

oil 6x8 inches click for purchase information and zoom I had this "landscape cotton" panel with me at the fair. A rougher texture than I usually work on, I thought it would lend some texture to another "natural snack" painting. The fair is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I just enjoyed two much needed days at home to catch up on things. On Monday laundry, and I took two naps! Just like a baby, one in the morning and one in the afternoon! Guess I was tired. Today I took advantage of our temps in the high 80's (instead of 100's) while I beat back the backyard jungle, planted more jungle, killed some ants and periodically jumped into the pool. Now I'm high on vitamin D and fresh smoggy air and ready to paint at the fair again tomorrow. This painting is available at Vander Molen Fine Art, Arcadia, CA

Natural Snack

oil 6x6 inches click for purchase information and zoom I love the Granny Smith green with the red grapes. Leaving them on my wood cutting board gave it a natural look that I really like. All the color is muted just a bit which helps too. Today I'm off to Opening Day at the LA COUNTY FAIR. Lots of painting time ahead, as the fair runs the entire month of September. Last year resulted in 22 paintings! My days there are long, so I'll have to sneak in a post when I can. For all of you locals, come and hang out! Look for the Millard Sheets Gallery. It's cool inside, and there's a huge variety of art to see.

Apple-A-Day

oil 6x6 inches click for purchase information and zoom As for the title, I've been trying to develop the habit of eating an apple a day. Gotta keep those doctors away! This apple went down great with Cookie Butter from Trader Joe's. Don't tell the doctor. About the painting, Robert Genn, in his Twice Weekly Letters recently proposed 37 minute paintings once in a while to keep a painter fresh and on her toes. Here's my attempt, but to be honest, I went 50 minutes. I couldn't help myself.

Makin' Apple Pie

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

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Still having fun with this color scheme. The steel bowl reflections were a blast!

Apple Pie Season SOLD

oil on canvas panel 8x8 inches

Daily Paintworks challenged us recently to paint signs of Fall in our area. In Southern California, the signs are subtle. My plumeria and Hawaiian ginger blooming? No, that's not it. We have lots of crows around, but they wouldn't hold still. So here it is...Fall at our house means Dutch Apple Pies. I use my corer-peeler-slicer. That red handle was perfect with the yellow green, but the painting would need more than one spot of red, so I hunted down an old cloth napkin with red apples on it. Bingo. I had my painting. Thalo blue and cad yellow light makes that Granny Smith green.

Cherry Baby Granny SOLD

oil on canvas panel 6x6 inches
sold
I'm running out of titles for paintings that are nothing but fruit! I put the lavender under these fruits and said WOW!...red with violet--yum! Yellow-green with violet--yum! Red and green too! Whoopee!!! It's a fruity paradise of saturated color.