Saturday, July 30, 2011

Orange Peel

                                         
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A recent one I did of a peeled orange.   I wanted to work on getting good paint texture in the light. pithy part. I chose the blue cloth to create a complementary color scheme.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Cobalt Blue

                                             
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This is another in the "Paint What You Paint With" series.  I really enjoy painting the rolled up and twisted  paint tubes; I like the way the light catches twists and turns forming  nice abstract patterns.  I may have to start keeping a few used ones around the studio to use as future props! I'll definitely be doing some more.  

I just started a new larger piece this week, and am excited about working on that right now.  As much as I enjoy working on the small paintings, it's fun to finally work on a larger scale with a more complex set up.

Below is a 16x20 I recently completed.

Arabian Dallah with Fruit and Leaves



Saturday, July 23, 2011

Olio Nero

                                        
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A couple of weeks ago on the Daily Paintworks website, Carol Marine issued a challenge to paint items that we paint with.  Many of the artists on the website submitted entries. I didn't know what to paint the other day, so I thought I would jump on that bandwagon, too. I had a lot of fun with this one. I like the abstract pattern of light shapes formed by the twisted tubes and the side of the bottle against the dark background.  The spot of red adds a wonderful color note.

Olio nero (black oil) is a medium  I used when I studied at the Florence Academy of Art.  It is made by the art supply store Zecchi  from traditional old master recipes.  Because it is made with lead, it speeds the drying time of paint.  It also gives the paint a nice glossy sheen.  I haven't used it lately, but I saved the bottle which made a great prop.  I love the golden glow of light on the bottle's far side. Stay tuned for some more in this series.....



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Shallots in Shadow and Light



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These shallots were lying on the old cabinet I use as a still life shelf and I loved the way the light struck them dramatically, but left them mostly in shadow.  It creates a really dynamic contrast, as well as a bit of mystery. That is what I find so appealing about chiaroscuro painting.  Continuing my experimentation with the palette knife, I used it to create the texture of the cabinet.


Saturday, July 16, 2011

Sittin' Pretty


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Generally, I tend to paint rather thinly, so for this painting I wanted to experiment with using a palette knife to apply rich, thick strokes of paint.  I chose the brick and the old wooden shelf as a setting, feeling they would lend themselves to knife painting.  I had fun with the knife, and I think the brick looks really solid.  Maybe I'll try incorporating palette knife use a little bit more in the future.  I like the color harmonies in this little piece, too.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Last of the Season


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As a still life painter, who paints fruit quite frequently, I am always trying to find an interesting way to present them.  Leaves and stems add some interest, but unfortunately in this country, unlike in Europe, it is almost impossible to find fruit which still has a leaf attached in grocery stores or even at local fruit stands.   After hearing me complain about this, one of my students was kind enough to give me some orange branches from her tree.  This little study is the result.



Saturday, July 9, 2011

Juiced


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I got the idea for this painting while juicing some lemons one day. I just liked the look of the hollowed out fruit. I set  this arrangement up so that there would be some dramatic shadow shapes on the lemon halves in front, and a nice light striking the lemon waiting to be juiced.



Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Escapees


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I have done several paintings of eggs in the past, and a friend recently asked if I would do some more, so here they are.  These eggs were determined to escapre being hard boiled!






Friday, July 1, 2011

Boxed In



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Another in my box series. I have done several as I am really liking the composition possibilities the box provides.  I promise the next painting won't be "boxed in", but the theme will pop up again shortly.

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