Grape Escapes -a still life painting in oil -SOLD

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info Here we have fruit arranged in a circle. Meanwhile, one independent thinker is sneaking away. He hasn't escaped the notice of Apple however, who is spreading the word to Tangerine. What happens next is anybody's guess.

Harmony -a still life painting in oil

oil 12x9 inches magnify This painting is in a custom dark wood floater frame with gold lip. It will be available for viewing and sale at "Evening With The Artists", Redlands Community Hospital on April 22nd. The Hospital Foundation hosts this event each year. I'm very honored to have been invited along with four other fine artists. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

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!

Lavender & Lemon -a still life painting in oil

oil 12x9 inches magnify/purchase info Well, here's my comeback after that cold previously mentioned morphed into something really ugly. The upside of this was that my days on the couch with my iPad gave me lots of time to look at other's work I admire and research/think about some different approaches. The bulk of this piece combines a color I've never used before, ultramarine violet along with cad yellow light. So this is a very different palette for me. Working on linen rather than canvas, I practiced again my backgrounds for thin, transparent and textural effects. Another goal was to leave some unfinished areas. I've always liked mixing it up, trying new things. While resting I ran across a quote from Kim English I'd written in my notes; "If you paint the same way all the time it's like playing the piano in only one key." Your comments are always welcome.

Citrus & Grapes -a still life in oil -SOLD

oil 6x12 inches magnify/purchase info I'm back from running Camp Gramma. The kids shared their cold with me...blahhhh. I hope I feel better soon so I can get back to my easel. Meanwhile, here's a piece I did a few weeks ago. I got a good start on it when Edison Company arrived to work on a problem and had to turn off our electricity. About 4 hours later I was back in business. Below are some progress shots taken every 15 minutes till the power went out.

Shiny Fruit Fest -a still life painting in oil

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase info Here's the last demo for my workshop. We painted a few very small studies, then a couple of 6x6's. When I picked up this 8x8 it seemed HUGE! I paint 8x8's all the time, but I just about needed a ruler to convince myself it was really only an 8x8. Funny how your eye or mind gets accustomed to a particular scale so quickly. I've included a studio shot below in which the color is more accurate. Now I'm off to run Camp Gramma for three days. I expect no painting, but a lot of fun and cuddles.

Lemony -a still life in oil -SOLD

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info This is one of the little demos I painted during the Thursday/Friday workshop in my new studio. The first workshop! It was very exciting! The weather was perfect, so I rolled up the big door. We worked on foundational principles while listening to music and the birds chirping nearby. They worked hard and didn't even complain about the exercises I assigned. They did great! I've included just a few shots of their work below. My April workshop is full, but soon I'll be opening a June workshop. If you're interested and not on my email list yet, just shoot me an email at karenwernerart@gmail.com

Workshop Fruit

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info Eight hard working students joined me in Redlands on Saturday for a one day workshop. We worked on design, value studies and color studies, and they all did a great job. Just a couple of the ladies hard at work are pictured below. I need a photographer. I get so excited about what we're doing that I forget to take pictures! Late in the afternoon I squeezed out this little demo. Today in the studio I fixed the plate that had ended up a bit wonky. What a fun day in Redlands! Thank you, Redlands Art Associaton.

See that wine bottle? We were talking about symmetry...not drinking it. Just making that clear. :-)

Fruit, Jar & Geraniums -a still life painting in oil

oil 11x14 inches not for sale magnify I painted this as a gift to the permanent collection of Redlands Community Hospital. I've included a studio shot below. Coming up on April 22, The Redlands Hospital Foundation will host the 8th Annual "Evening With The Artists". I and four fellow artists have been invited to show and sell our work. If you're in So Cal, consider attending this well-planned and lovely evening. Friday, April 22, 5:30-7:30 pm. For more information call (909)335-5540 or click here: Redlands Hospital Foundation.

Demo For Redlands Art Association -a still life in oil

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase info Last night's demo in Redlands was a lot of fun. We had a packed house, and a very enthusiastic audience. Most of them stayed till the painting was finished, after 9pm! Thank you all for your patience and serious interest! Next, I'll teach a small one day workshop this coming Saturday in the same place. There are a couple of openings left, so call Redlands Art Association if you're interested. 909-792-8435 Also coming up quickly, my two day workshop at my home studio in Upland, March 3&4. I still have some openings. You'll get a ton of instruction, coaching (limited to 6 participants), coffee, tea, water and snacks. If you're interested in this or future workshops in Upland, email me: karenwernerart@gmail.com

Thank you, Redlands Art Association!

Tomates -an oil painting of tomatoes in Paris

oil 14x11 inches magnify/purchase info I just realized I've never posted this painting I did last month. I used a photo I took at fruit stand in Paris. The photo was already a nice abstract arrangement of circles and lines, not to mention the gorgeous color. I don't use thalo blue very often, but that was one aspect I enjoyed the most; a great foil to all the reds. IN OTHER NEWS: This Tuesday night I'll demonstrate for the Redlands Art Association, 215 E. State St., Redlands, CA. 7:00 pm. Open to the public.

Lemon With Geraniums -a still life painting in oil -SOLD

oil 8x8 inches magnify/purchase info Painting a still life seemed extra refreshing after so many paintings from photos. The lemon and geraniums are from our backyard. On Saturday the Redlands newspaper had a nice write up about me. My demonstration and one day workshop for the Redlands Art Association are coming up next week.

Thanks to Cathy Guzik for the photo.

As I start washing my brushes, my little studio compainion, Sandy, jumps up from her nap and waits to go in the house.

Pink

oil 6x6 inches magnify/purchase info This was an experiment painted with no reference. No nearby roses or pictures of roses. It has an experimental price to go with it. WORKSHOP NEWS: I still have room in my March workshop. The April workshop is full. Email me if you're interested in the March or future workshops. karenwernerart@gmail.com

Bronze Ballerina -an oil painting of Degas' sculpture -SOLD

oil 14x11 inches magnify/purchase info Musee D'Orsay in Paris houses this famous Degas bronze. She's in a plexiglass case that transformed fellow viewers into abstract shapes. I really enjoyed painting this one, and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. IN OTHER NEWS: I have just scheduled a couple of two day workshops in my new studio, one in March and one in April. "Painting the Lively Still Life" is open to beginning and intermediate oil painters. Location: Upland, California. If you would like more information, email me at karenwernerart@gmail.com

In Monet's Kitchen -SOLD

oil 12x9 inches magnify/purchase info I thought I would work a bit from my b-zillion photos I took in France. Yes, Monet's entire kitchen is bright yellow. I enjoyed painting this because of the yellows. I love mixing the various colors of yellow in shadow. That's why lemons are so much fun. For my fellow oil painters out there: I always mix my own yellow ochre rather than using a tube of yellow ochre. I use cad yellow light (Utrect), cad red light and ultramarine blue. I can get a richer yellow ochre than what's in a tube, and I can swing it cool by adding more blue, or warm by adding more red and yellow. You have to play with your ratios in tiny increments, but it's a lot of fun to see the beautiful range of yellow ochres you can get. Try painting a lemon in light and shadow with just these three colors. You might need a little white to mix in, but only for the highlight.

Beater Bikes

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info I took some photos of the old bikes at Treasures & Junk in Ontario. Sometimes called "beater bikes" by serious cyclists, they're all beat up and pretty much theft proof. Great for riding around in the city. Painting from photos lately I'm seeing progress. Finally I can make it a painting rather than just a copy of a photo. Simplifying shapes, loose brushwork and not fussing it to death.

Bumper Cars

oil 9x12 magnify not for sale This is my granddaughter, Grace driving a bumper car for the first time at the LA County Fair. I had so much fun with color and highlights in this one! UPCOMING EVENTS: Next month I'll demonstrate for the Redlands Art Association on the 23rd at 7pm. Then on the 27th I'll teach a Saturday one day workshop for RAA titled "Painting the Lively Still Life in Oil." The workshop is limited to 12 students, so sign up early! For more info or to sign up, click here.

Rocky Range Ranch -an oil painting from Colorado -SOLD

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info I don't really know the name of this ranch. It's a made up title. :-) One of the drawbacks of painting from photos is the danger of just copying the photo. I can end up with a too accurate stiff rendering. I'm particularly happy with this one however, as it has some abstract qualities and expressive boldness.

Boats & Bouys -a plein air oil painting from Balboa Island, CA -sold

oil 9x12 inches magnify/purchase info Happy New Year everyone! This is my last painting of 2015. I took off down to Balboa Island on the last day of the year for some plein air with my feet in the sand. The sun was out and it was about 68 degrees in the shade. I was overdue for this kind of stuff, so it felt like Heaven. I used a very limited palette of color: T white, Cad Yellow light, Cad Red light, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt and Alizarin. I painted pretty fast in an effort to keep it fresh, not overworked. It took me two hours to drive home in the holiday traffic, but I don't mind. It was a great way to end the year.

Hollyhock Window -a Colorado ranch scene in oil -SOLD

oil 14x11 inches magnify/purchase info While painting on an old ranch in Colorado, storm clouds began to blow in fast. We packed up our stuff quickly to avoid getting soaked. It lasted about five minutes. Rather than set up again, I went out with my camera. I found these gems near the back porch of the little old farmhouse. I painted this back in September. Happy New Year, everyone!