Mums Squared

 

Mums Squared oil 10x8 inches

Purchase info here.

Wow!  It has been a minute since I posted here on my blog!  In early April I adopted a 1 1/2 year old puppy (who is full size!).  She is a sweet doberman/lab mix named Winnie.  We have been busy getting to know eachother and learning what is appropriate behavior and what is not! 

 

I've been painting regularly, but just not sitting at my computer blogging. Last September I plucked these little mums from a backyard container.  I loved the round flowers and the square vase.  It's a sweet little work, not too bold with color, and as always, even better in person.

Autumn Beauties

 

Autumn Beauties  oil on cradled panel, framed

Purchase info here. 

This is the fourth in the series of Fall botanicals. The mums are from our garden and the grapes...are from the grocery store!  Why grapes with flowers, you say?  The grapes provide variety of shape. 

IN OTHER NEWS: I'm happy to report that the following works have been juried into upcoming National Shows.  Perhaps you can visit one of the shows.  

Veggies  oil 10x10

available through Steamboat Art Museum

Oil Painters Of America National Juried Exhibition, 

Steamboat Springs, CO 

June 3- August 27, 2022

Pear & Pom oil 10x10 inches

available through Wilder Nightingale Fine Art

American Impressionist Society's 6th Annual Impressions:

Small Works Exhibition

Taos, NM

May 12-June 19, 2022

Autumn Patterns

 

Autumn Patterns    oil 18x18 inches  

Purchase info here.  

Sometime in October I had this idea of a still life from bird's eye view.  With a tablecloth on the floor, I arranged objects to create a kind of rhythm.  It's all about pattern.  This painting is beautifully custom framed in a modern white wood frame about 1 1/2 inches wide with a smooth white finish.  Currently, it is on display in the front window of Mission Fine Art Gallery, San Juan Capistrano, CA.  

Ginger Jar Mums

 

Ginger Jar Mums  oil 8x8  

Purchase info here.

These mums came with the house.  All my pots of mums that come from the grocery store end up in a hidden corner of my backyard where they grow and bloom over and over again.  When we bought our house the previous "lady of the house" (boy, that's an old term!), planted her mums there also, so I have a nice variety.  The easiest flower to paint is a daisy type in my opinion.  They typically have a large circular center with one or two rows of petals coming out.  Sunflowers qualify also.  This type of flower can be painted simply which gives it a fresh, not overworked look.  I paint the center first, then the petals in shadow, followed by the petals in the light.  When the stems, leaves and vase are in I "cut in" around the flowers with the background color, This allows for some soft edges and irregularity of petal shape and placement.  Easy peasy!  And fresh.  

I have two spots open in my May 22-23 Workshop.  Email for more info: karenwernerart@gmail.com

Garden Decor -a plein air painting from my garden

 

Garden Decor  oil 14x11 inches

Purchase info here.

Another remembrance of Spring here.  "Garden Decor" is a little bit more civilized name for "yard crap", which is what a friend of mine calls this stuff!  lol.  Do you like this kind of stuff in your yard?  I do.  

May Day Mums -a plein air painting from my backyard

 

May Day Mums    oil 9x12 inches

Purchase info here.

On this particular day in May the milder weather enabled me to paint in the sun and thus closer to my subject.  My favorite part of this set up is the blue pot against the brick color in light and shadow.  The closer vantage point allowed for more detail in the little pot of succulents. I have painted the trowel handle in this painting and On The Garden Wall to whatever color would work best for the painting.  It's really a pale green. 

 I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.  We had 8 of us (not all of us) around our table to enjoy an 18 lb. fresh turkey.  (Lots of leftovers!)  Our grandson read aloud Psalm 33.  I recommend reading it if you have some quiet time today.

I'm thankful for many many blessings, including being able to paint almost every day.  I'm sincerely thankful for  all of YOU who follow my painting journey and purchase my work.  

On The Garden Wall

 

On The Garden Wall    oil 9x12 inches

Purchase info here.

This is more of my work from April.  It was a very warm day, but the roses and lavender were in full bloom.  I had this beautiful little pot of white mums.  Compelled to do some plein air painting in spite of Covid lockdown and the heat, I positioned myself in shade under both an avocado tree and a beach umbrella.  I had a great time and was happy with the result.  The next day was cooler, so I was able to paint this lovely subject again from a closer vantage point.  That one is coming up next.  

Green Apple With Mums -SOLD

oil 8x8 inches Purchase info here.

Kristen's Mum

oil 8 1/2 X12 inches Purchase info here. At my May Advanced Workshop (Glass & Flowers) one of my workshop participants brought this mum specifically to see me paint it. A flower like this (white mum) is challenging, but everything boils down to painting the shapes you see, working from the large shapes first, progressing to the small. At the same time, I paint the darks first, mid values next, and the lightest lights last. It's important to have practiced with your chosen brush enough that you know exactly what shapes you can make with each stroke. Another consideration is temperature. Warms come forward and cools recede. Therefore, I first painted the cools in the depths of the flower and warmer as I go, building up to the warm lightest lights finally. So in a nutshell: think large to small, dark to light, and cool to warm. This process works for lots of things. I hope this helps someone out there! I appreciate your comments. This painting is on loose canvas. It will need to be mounted on board before framing. It is priced accordingly, and shipping is FREE! FOR MY MOST CURRENT PAINT HAPPENINGS PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM: karenwernerart

Still Life On A Party Napkin

oil 8x8 inches Purchase info here. Here's a summery painting I did back in August. Only recently was I able to get a decent photo of it. It's a gloomy drizzly day here in So Cal. Maybe this piece will remind us of warmer days picking flowers and eating peaches.

Fiesta Mums

oil 12x12 inches Purchase info here. Here we have some objects pulled together by color harmony. The Fiestaware pitcher is a gift from a friend, mums from our yard, old books from a thrift store and old clippers from my parent's house, all on a fabric sample. The result is color harmony with a variety of textures and shapes. I really enjoyed painting this one. There's a bit of glare on the left side of the image. Just know that the rich darks you see on the right side are also on the left side!

Berries & Mums -SOLD

oil 8x8 inches For a closer look and purchase info, click here. The mums from a few days earlier were still holding their own, so they agreed to pose again.

Apples & Mums

oil 10 x 10 inches For a closer look and purchase info, click here. Apples and mums from our yard. I loved the dark value and deep rich color of the mums in contrast to the lighter apples and drapery. Instant drama.

Mums, The Bird

oil 6x12 inches magnify/purchase info I have a collection of birds in glass and ceramic. This is one of those with some mums from my yard. IN OTHER NEWS: I have upcoming two day workshops set for June and September. They are held here in my large studio in Upland, CA. If you would like more information just email me at karenwernerart@gmail.com