Sand & Sun

oil 9x12 inches Purchase info here. Temperatures are dropping, three days of rain are coming along with snow in our local mountains. Boy, does this scene look inviting!!! Here's what happens when painting figures in plein air: The chosen subject was two adults in chairs and their little girl standing with a BIG bow in her hair. I took a pic of the figures, because I knew thay'd move. The girl went down to the water of course. I drew the two chairs. The third adult arrived! Drew in the third chair. Took more pics. Drew the two women. They ALL got up and left for about an hour. Drew the man from my pic. Started painting the chairs, then figures from memory. They came back and put up the umbrella. Added the umbrella, changed the skin tones under the umbrella to tones in shade. Painted the umbrella, shadows under the chairs, sunlit sand and water. Whew! It was a lot of fun to paint such a fluid situation and I was really lucky that the subject kept getting better!

Laguna Palms

oil 9x12 inches Purchase info here. Painted on location, this is another piece I painted during the Jim McVicker workshop in June. The sun came out for us that afternoon, giving stark contrast between the lit background and trees in deep shadow.

Laguna Coves SOLD

oil 9x12 inches Purchase info here. In June I took a plein air painting workshop taught by Jim McVicker. It was a wonderful experience, and this is my favorite of the four paintings I completed. The days were cloudy ("June Gloom", we call it) with the sun trying to burn through by afternoon. It's a difficult type of atmosphere to capture. With Jim's expert coaching, I think I got it. IN OTHER NEWS: I just hung 16 paintings in Claremont at INTEGRATIVE BODYWORK. 114 N. Indian Hill Blvd, Front Suite, Claremont, CA. Thank you to Suzannce Snijder van Wissenkerke for the opportunity. So if you're near Claremont, stop in and browse, or plan to stop in on CLAREMONT ARTWALK NIGHT, DECEMBER 7, 6-9pm. Refreshments served. My work will hang through January.

Bottle & Glass

oil 12x9 inches Purchase info here. A painting from May. Some of my favorite subjects are here; wine bottles and glass. The small white flowers are fun too. When I paint small flowers, I know it's futile (and not at all fun) to try and paint each petal. Instead, I squint way down to see each blossom as just a basic shape. I usually paint the greens first, leaving the blossom shapes unpainted. I then paint the shadow side of the blossoms the right shape, value and color. Last, I paint the light side of the blossoms the right shape, value and color. I also focus on varying the size, shape, and placement of each blossom. A random look gives flowers a natural appearance.

Key Lime Pie -sold

oil 6x6 SOLD Key lime pie is one of my favorite desserts. I sacrificed the last piece for this painting. Thank you to Bunny Gunner Gallery, Claremont,CA for the sale of this painting.

Honey & Lemon -SOLD

oil 6x6 inches SOLD Beautiful local raw honey and home grown lemons. Thank you to Bunny Gunner gallery for the sale of this painting included in the show "All You Can Eat." IN OTHER NEWS: Mark your calendars! The PADUA HILLS ART FIESTA is coming soon! NOVEMBER 3 from 11am to 4pm. Located at the historic Padua Hills Theatre, Claremont, CA. This is my first year exhibiting my work as an invited artist. I'll also be painting from life as time allows. Click HERE for more info. I hope to see you there!

Cheesecake & The Big Berry SOLD

oil 6x6 inches Purchase info here. Coming up with titles for so many paintings is always a fun challenge. I thought about the children's book James And The Giant Peach for this one. Maybe this one would fit too: Does This Cheesecake Make My Berry Look Big? LOL! I have a simple contemporary frame on hand if you would like to add it to your purchase. Email for details: karenwernerart@gmail.com IN OTHER NEWS: On Monday I completed the Strada Easel September Challenge: paint or draw from life every day for 30 days. Here is a montage of all my work for the month. (missing one by accident). You can see them all on Instagram, or eventually they will be posted here one by one. In a future post I'll share what I learned by painting every single day.

Oranges In Aqua

oil 6x6 Purchase info here. Another in my June series of painted edibles. Orange and aqua are interesting together. Do you agree? I have a frame available for this painting, or purchase unframed. Email me for info on the frame: karenwernerart@gmail.com

Granny Got Grapes

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

Grapes On Green

oil 6x6 inches Purchase info here. Another painting from June. Grapes are one of my favorite subjects to paint. I love trying to capture the luminosity. A simple contemporary frame is available to add to your purchase if you like. Email me at karenwernerart@gmail.com for details. These little 6x6's are part of a series I did. They would hang well as a grouping on your wall! More coming up!

Fresh Picked

oil 6x6 Purchase info here. This little painting is even fresher looking in person! You can purchase unframed or add a simple frame to your purchase if you like. Purchase through the link above, then email me for the details on frame. karenwernerart@gmail.com

Really Red Radishes

oil 6x6 inches Purchase info here. A painting from June. This painting is available unframed or framed in a contemporary black floater, 1 in. wide. Purchase through link above, then email me at karenwernerart@gmail.com to purchase the frame by Paypal bill. No additional shipping.

Orange Glow

oil 6x6 inches Purchase info here. This little gem is painted from an orange off of our navel orange tree. They are sweet and juicy! They peel messy, and the juice runs down your arm. You can purchase this painting in a contemporary black floater frame. Purchase the painting using the link above, then email me at karenwernerart@gmail.com to purchase the frame by Paypal bill. IN OTHER NEWS: I've been busy busy, taking part in the Strada Easel Painting Challenge. 30 paintings in the 30 days of September. Follow me on Instagram: karenwernerart to see them all!

Fruit & Wine

oil 8x8 inches. Purchase info here. In these small still life paintings I like to have objects (or their shadows) go off the edges. This divides the negative space nicely resulting in different sizes and shapes. Often, I use a wine bottle to take the scene off the top. You might think I drink a lot of wine! No, I just find the bottles useful and pretty. Here's a painting that has a variety of fresh color and high value contrast. I'm quite happy with this one. I hope you like it.

Spring Things

                                                                     oil 12x12 inches

Purchase info here.  

 I am pleased to announce that this painting has been juried in to The American Impressionist Society's 20th Annual National Juried Exhibition. I'm very grateful to be included in this prestigious show located at the historic Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. Show dates: September 19-October 2. Opening reception September 20, 6=9 pm. If you are able to visit the show, please take a picture of it hanging, as I will not be able to attend!!! Email me at karenwernerart@gmail.com

Kim's Arrangement

oil 10x8 SOLD Painting roses is a challenge. It's difficult enough to get their complex structure down in paint. The structure may be right, but they can still look stiff, like a plastic rose. I really want to express their transparency, delicacy and softness. In this painting I got the roses I was going for.

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

Trestles

oil 8x16 inches Purchase info here. Painted from my photo reference taken while on a camping trip in San Clemente. We went on a nice long bike ride that gave us great views (and photos) of our beautiful Southern California Coast, and a little peek at the surfer lifestyle. Here's a detail shot:

Cheapie Del Rio SOLD

oil 10x8 inches Purchase info here. This little boat with the funny name sits off the north shore of Balboa Island. It's a favorite subject for many painters. I painted this from my photo reference. The painting is framed and ready to hang. If you're interested in purchasing, and would like to see a photo of it in the frame, just email me. karenwernerart@gmail.com

Demo For Rancho

oil 12x12 inches This was a demonstration I painted from life for Associated Artists of the Inland Empire in Rancho Cucamonga. I was able to complete it mostly within the 1 1/2 hours allotted to me. It's a fresh-looking painting because I had to paint quickly and leave my strokes alone. This is a great exercise for any painter who wants their work to be loose and fresh, not overworked. Give yourself a time limit. Use big brushes and paint faster than you normally would. Keep going forward. Don't go back into an area and mess with it. This brings a memory to mind: I had lunch with a couple of accomplished watercolorists more than a decade ago, and one of them shared a quote I've always remembered: "I want my work to be like fresh sushi, not well-done beef."