Roses of Five Petals

Roses of Five Petals
Oil on panel, 9x12
Five Petals Paint-In
Fourth Fridays in Lee's Summit

It has been such a busy day!  Pilates & Intervals classes, followed by cutting down a painting - only to have to repair a little damage that I inflicted during the process, followed by a baseball game - and a win, and now I am finally able to get to posting.  I painted this interior during Fourth Fridays in Lee's Summit while in the Five Petals Floral Shop.  They graciously allowed me to pull a few items together for a quick still life paint.  This one is rather dark and moody - but that is part of what I liked about the scene.  I first sketched it out in pastels, laying down the darks and lights, and then working towards the middle.  Looking at this today, I wanted to check it with the reference shot.  After looking for it, I realized that I did not take one!  So, I don't really know where to take this from here.  All browns and reds, perhaps I should add in a few cools?  Probably, but I will let it rest for today.  Maybe, I'll look back in a few days and see if I'm led to make any additions.  This painting makes 521 in as many days.

Orange Study

Orange Study
Oil on panel, 6x6
not for sale

Not quite finished, but its getting late, so this must be my daily post.  I am studying the work of Lisa Gloria today, and this is from one of her demos and the reference photo she supplied.  My focus here is on sensitive strokes.  I have never painted a peeled orange before, and this orange gave me fits!  The membrane on the orange is so challenging - and painting at night is also a disadvantage, as I don't have daylight to paint by.  Oh well, it is spring break this week, and everything is off schedule!  I think tomorrow I will soften some of it's hard edges, as it does not have the same feel as the bowl and loose surroundings.  I think I'll also add a little blue for energy.  This is painting number 442 in as many days.  Wishing I had plein air painted on this day instead!

Apples in Crystal Bowl

Apples in Crystal Bowl
Watercolor on paper
12x9

Avery, very busy day has me posting a painting that is not quite finished.  This is a still life done in watercolor (yes, I did say watercolor).  I like to experiment with different mediums from time to time, and this is one of those experiments.  Watercolors are so very different from oils, and more difficult to work with for me.  I already see things I would do differently here, but I will save that for another day and another painting.  This is painting number 160 in 160 days.

Fractured Pears - from Julie's Art Byte

Fractured Pears
8x6, NFS

Well, this is a little bit of crazy town for me.  I love Julie Ford Oliver's work, so I painted this while viewing her Art Byte on her fracturing technique.  I feel like a fish out of water on this one!  Using a palette knife, squeegee tool, and a brush - you push and lift paint, fracturing edges all the while.  This is very impressionistic, and I am only posting this because I will not have time to finish anything else today.  Julie makes this look so easy - and I just can't do the technique justice....yet!  Always fun to experiment - this is the 67th painting in as many days.  Totally crazy painting today :)

Of Grapes and Crystal

Of Grapes and Crystal
Oil on panel, 9x12

Once again, I did not get to start painting until late.  With daylight savings time beginning only last night, it seems doubly late to me!  I had to play catch-up with the housework (never fun!), attend Michael's last basketball game of the season (a real nail biter - still tied after overtime!), and family time filled the rest of the day.  Once I did get started, the going was slow.  I have never painted grapes before - and I had to look at EACH grape to see just where all of the colors landed.  Same thing with those crystal prisms and the cut crystal bowl - it is all painting those reflections to create the objects.  This painting is a collection of favorite things around the house.  The bowl was a "trophy" my oldest son won in a golf tournament, the lamp from a dear friend, the green cabbage dish was a special find while antiquing.  The whole reason I chose this to paint - when I took out the grapes to wash and eat for breakfast, this glorious clump was in the bag!  Instantly, I set up the still life with a sign in front boldly marked, "DO NOT EAT!"  This is the only way to save food to paint around here!  This the painting 66 in 66 days.  I should have painted Route 66 today!

Bowl of Hydrangeas

Bowl of Hydrangeas
Oil on panel, 14x11

I am thinking of spring as another snow storm approaches.  Today I am painting loose and impressionistic hydrangeas in a bowl.  Grandma Bessie had these just outside her back door in the house on Olive.  I now have some outside of my kitchen bay window, where I hope to enjoy them for many years to come.  These little beauties are a challenging subject with their abundance of petals and light reflections from every angel.  I start first with the main masses, squinting down to truly see the colors.  Then, I let the brush do it's work with the flurry of petals.  This is the 52nd painting in a row! Now, its back to work on a commission!