Converging on Red

 

Click Here to Purchase - $400 - 10x10in. - oil on panel

A while ago I saw an add for some cadmium-free paints (red & yellow) from Utrecht. I figured there would be compromises, but I finally bought some small tubes to try out. And after using them a few months, I am genuinely impressed! They are just as saturated as my cadmiums, and I can't see any chalkiness or other problems in any of my mixes. And if I can be just a little safer with my paint, I'm all for it.

Have any of you tried them? I'd love to hear what you think. (btw, I am not sponsored by Utrecht)

Existing Separately

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Seeing as it's cyber Monday and all, I put a few of my paintings on sale. You can see everything of mine that's currently available here. : )

As for this painting, in case you are confused, I put down the maroon-y paper first, then a big piece of glass, then the light pink paper, then everything else. I thought the reflection-y bits were really cool, but in hindsight I wonder if it might be confusing...

Reflecting on Things

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in - oil on panel

Sometimes a composition asks for a large panel, and sometimes it wants to be born small. They tell me what they want after I'm done putting them together. As long as they ask nicely then I'm fine with it.

Stacking Cups

Click Here to Purchase - $900 - 24x24in - oil on panel

Here's another big one that I did a while ago. I never painted this particular composition as a 6x6, but it's the kind of thing I have done. Soon I will post new work where I further explore this idea of "enlarging" my small compositions. It's been quite challenging. So much that I put it out as this month's Daily Paintworks Challenge. Feel free to submit your resize (you don't have to be a member)!

Standing By

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

In case you don't know, Daily Paintworks (the website my husband and I created and run) has a monthly contest with cash prizes! There are only 29 entries so far this month, so there's a real chance to win. Please consider entering soon (it can be any 2-D fine art - no theme - and you don't have to be a member). The top 15 picks get a free month and a featured spot on the front page. : )

Treasure Hunt

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

My cherry tomatoes often end up looking like little red candies. And so I'm letting you know that these can be anything you want them to be. ; )

Hide and Seek Apples

 

Click Here to Bid - 5x7in. - Oil - starts at $100

For reflections like these, I use a large piece of glass under my setup. Depending on how I angle the light I get different kinds of reflections - sometimes more like a mirror and sometimes very subtle. It's really fun to play with, and quite a challenge to paint.

Orange You Green

 Click Here to Bid - 5x7in. - Oil. - starts at $100

Green and orange don't always get along, but when it works it's one of my favorite combos. 

Why So Blue?

Click Here to Bid - 5x7in. - Oil. - "Why So Blue?"

One thing I'm really focusing on with these latest still lifes is value relationships. Not that I haven't always, but doing the portraits made me realize how even tiny mistakes make a huge difference. So I've been slowing down and keeping my palette more organized in terms of value. And also setting up compositions that challenge me. This one might look simple - just two cups - but the hard light and reflections made it quite difficult. I really enjoyed it.

You Reflect on Me

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil - "You Reflect on Me"

Here's another one on the new smooth canvas panel I'm trying. The other day I realized one of my brushes was past its prime, and in looking at my inventory I realized I still had a (synthetic) mongoose brush from when I painted on canvas years ago. When I discovered it originally I called it my "magic" brush because I loved it so much, but switched to others for working on gessobord. Well, wouldn't ya know - it works great on these canvas panels! The only downside is that they're more expensive. So I'll have to figure that in to my decision about the new panels. Still experimenting...

In other news, I am heading off to Europe on Monday, and will be gone for 20 days. Unfortunately this means I won't be able to ship any books or paintings until I return (May 20th), including this one, since the auction won't end until after I'm gone. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience!

For the second half of my trip I'll be teaching a workshop in Florence, Italy! I'll try to remember to take pictures and post them on Instagram, so follow me there if you aren't already.

Having the Apples for Dinner

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil - "Having the Apples for Dinner"

It's funny how this title could mean two things. One in which the apples will eat dinner with us. The other is just sad. For the apples.

An Appointment with Apples

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil - "An Appointment with Apples"

This is my favorite of this apple series. My favorite tends to be the last one. After that I move on.

Higher Ground

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil - "Higher Ground"

Sometimes cups (the kinds with handles) can be aggressive. You wouldn't know it by just looking at them. This pear had to find higher ground one way or another.

Buy Now - 6x4in. - collage - "Curves"

Homecoming Dance

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil - starts at $100

It turns out I'll be leaving tomorrow for our camping adventure. We will be gone up to three weeks. The latest I will be able to ship is Oct 20th. Once again, many apologies for any inconvenience!

Not Enough Spoons

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil - starts at $100

Putting a still life on a reflective surface more than doubles the complexity of the painting, I swear. What's crazy is that I do this to myself!

Primary Companions

 

Click Here to Bid (6x12in. - OIL - starts at $100 - click image to enlarge)

If you like movies about artists, a friend of mine sent me this page with a long list of them. I personally have only seen a few, but plan to check out more now that I've seen this. Enjoy!

Getting Busy Again

 

Click Here to Bid (6x6in. - OIL - starts at $100)

I guess the title of this one has more to do with how I'm feeling about this composition rather than anything else. I'm trying to stay simple, but this one got busy. Probably too busy for a little 6x6, but ... I did it anyway.

Fashion Show

 

Click Here to Bid (6x6in. - OIL - starts at $100)

When I am attempting to title a piece, I like to just sit and look at it for a while and see if something comes to me. The first thing that came to mind with this one was models on a runway. Right? Don't you see it?

The Quad Squad

 

Click Here to Bid (6x8in. - OIL - starts at $100)

And now for some simple reflections. Not that reflections are simple to paint. At all. But I dug the challenge of it.

Holidays

Click Here to Bid (6x6in. - OIL)

As you can see, I did two versions of this composition, with a different colored background each time. I did this because after the first one (blue) I realized I had made the reflections just a little too tall, and wanted a chance to correct it. I was SURE the second one would be way better. And thought so right after. But after a few days I had a fresh look at them, and now I'm not sure which one I like better. And so I'd love to know what you think. : )

 

Click Here to Bid (6x6in. - OIL)

When I do reflections like this, I use a piece of glass (rather than a mirror). After doing the blue version, I switched out the background color for red, but didn't change the color under the glass (still blue). This is why there is a bit of reflected blue on the bottoms of the cups.