Birthday Tomatoes

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Today is my birthday, and I celebrated by doing one of my favorite things....painting.  The subject is also one of my favorite summer fruits.  The ones in the grocery store are what I used in this painting, but my favorite are those wonderful summer-kissed-with-flavor tomatoes that only come during the tomato season, late summer.  I have such good memories of growing up with bummer crops of tomatoes from our families garden.  My mother canned loads and loads of them for use in the winter and even made her own ketchup.  In fact,  I don't remember ever having store bought ketchup unless we went out to eat somewhere.  Her ketchup was deep red in color and very tangy and spicy.  It made the entire house smell wonderful. 

I used the complement of red for the background in the painting, a sure way to get those tomatoes to really pop.  I also used a warm reddish brown color to tone the board ensuring the painting would take on those warm tones.  For lighting,  I made sure to use a neutral colored bulb so the colors would remain true.

I am attempting to paint in a looser style and the more I paint and the more frequently I paint, I am beginning to see some welcome changes.  I am seeing the benefit of painting often and actually get grumpy if a day goes by when I don't put in some paint time.  How's that for dedication?

I love the work of Carol Marine,  the founder of Daily Paintworks, and I often read her materials for inspiration.  Thanks Carol for giving me a platform on which to show my small works!

ENJOY !!😀

Mountain Wildflower

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We've had a late spring here in northern Utah. The wildflowers in the mountains are beginning to pop and there are patches of bright yellow all over the mountains and meadows.This painting showcases one of those beautiful yellow flowers. I don't know what they are, but they are a welcome site after a hard winter. Painted on Ampersand archival gessoboard.  This painting took me two tries before I got a composition that I liked and the yellow of the glower to read well.  As I've said before, the color yellow is not my favorite to paint with but I love the color itself.  I felt like the shadow cast by the flower and vase added an interesting element to the composition.

ENJOY!!

Three Suns

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We've had some very unusually dreary weather here in Utah so my outdoor plein air painting days are "on hold" until the weather clears. I decided to bring some color into my life by painting a floral still life, and what better way to grab some color than with sunflowers. They are the best indicator of summer weather so I found some at my local grocery and set up this still life. I already feel better.
This is the third try for these sunflowers and I think I finally got a painting that I like.  Even though the vase is dead smack in the middle, I think the composition works.  The color yellow is a bear to work with because of its relatively light value. Getting those dark yellows to read dark took some trial and error.  Also, not painting every petal was a challenge, since I tend to be detail oriented.

ENJOY

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These mandarin oranges came from the supermarket with their leaves still intact. I loved how the leathery leaves look next to the bright orange of the fruit. The addition of the blue bottle helped balance the otherwise warm tone of the painting. This is painted on gessoboard that has been underpainted in black.

Because I love autumn so much, orange is one of my favorite colors.  It has a very long history.  It was generally thought to have started by using madder, which most painters recognize as a bright pink.  But if the madder root is pounded, dried,  then put in a dye bath with alum, it turns wool to a vibrant orange, like the hair of a redhead. The Turks figured this out back in the 13th century!!

ENJOY!!

Mandarin Muse

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This is a still life set up from mandarin oranges that I purchased at the grocery. I loved these oranges because they still had their beautiful leaves and stems attached. This piece is painted on a red toned gesso board.

ENJOY!!

When In Italy

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On a trip this summer to Italy, I had the great fortune to be able to paint with a great instructor, Joe Lombardo, from Columbus, OH. We painted in the Tuscan region of Italy and each day was very inspiring. One of the days was spent at a Ceramics school where we painted on site. At the end of the session, we were treated to a traditional Italian cocktail, the Aperol Spritz. Comprised of prosecco, Aperol (a bitter orange/rhubarb liquor) and soda water, it was the perfect ending to the session. It's a very pretty drink and a great subject for this painting.

ENJOY!!

ORANGE

Orchard Fresh

These beautiful tangerines were calling to me at the grocery.  I love to be able to get food that still has  its evidence of freshness still attached.  It gives new meaning to the phrase, just picked.  Though I'm sure these beauties traveled many miles to get to the midwest, they are a welcome treat.

ENJOY

BACK TO POSTING

DESPERATE DAISY

I have been on the go lately and remiss in posting.  I have been painting lots but not getting much posting done, so here goes.  The title for this painting came about when arranging the flowers for this small still life.  The one daisy just kept wanting to droop forward, so I left it.   Now I have the perfect title, because it seems like it is desperate to get it the painting. What do you think?

ENJOY

HANGING ON

TWO REDS

There is no doubt that winter is on its way.  The leaves are in full drop mode, rainy skies have a chill and some frost in them, and flowers are slowly dying back.

Geraniums are a favorite summer flower.  I love their sturdiness and their ability to hold out until the weather turns frigid.  I have over-wintered them before,  this time didn't do it soon enough,  and now they are gone for the year.

This painting is in honor of geraniums, the staple of the flower garden.  I even like their smell, because it signals the beginning of the summer season. Time to say goodbye to them. See 'ya next spring.

ENJOY!!

A LITTLE JEWEL

YOU'RE SURROUNDED!!

This is another small work, trying to get back to doing my painting a day, although with the holiday season approaching, I'm not too confident that will happen.  But I'll give it a try.

This painting is done on a toned back ground... you can see some of the purple ground showing through, which I kind of like.  Hope you like it too.  ENJOY!!

MELDING FLAVORS

SWEET AND TANGY

I love the taste of pears and cheese together.  My favorite combination happens to be Bartlett pears and Gouda cheese.  My mouth waters just thinking of them. Here is a little painting in honor of their combined flavors.  ENJOY!!

From The Mighty Oak.....

BABY OAKS

These acorns have been collecting themselves on my desk for a few weeks now.  Every time I see one that is not smushed, I pick it up, thinking I'll use them in a painting. So that day was today.  I like how they appear so architectural when viewed up close.  Hope you enjoy this little seasonal painting.  Happy Autumn!!

Making Colors Pop

PEPPERLICIOUS

There is nothing like working with complementary colors to make a painting sing. I decided to experiment with doing a painting with the subject being painted on a ground that is the complement of the subject, in this case, the peppers.  I like how little bits of the red show through, making the pepper even more interesting. ENJOY!!

FAMILIAR

CRUNCH FOR LUNCH

6" x 6" oil on gessoboard

I painted this today thinking of all those kids who are going back to school.  I'ts finally getting a little cooler here and this kind of weather always makes me think of fall and getting those delicious apple from the market.  Is there anything better than biting into a crunchy tart apple? I've packed lots of kids lunches over the years, and apples have always been a favorite in their bag.

Enjoy!! 

ESCAPEE

ESCAPEE!

These strawberries were calling to me, "Paint me, we are so beautiful!", so I obliged.  Can't you just imagine the one strawberry escaping the plate for fear of getting eaten? 

This painting was done from life and strawberries don't do well under bright lights.  Two days is about all one can get in strawberry life.  After that, they start to break down.

By the way, I will be rejoining Studios on High Gallery in the Short North Arts district in downtown Columbus, OH in July.  This gallery has been named the best in Columbus for the 2nd year in a row!! There will be a food themed show in July and a few of my paintings will be in the show, so come on down and take a look.  If you purchase any of my work, 10% of the proceeds will go the the Mid-Ohio Food Bank.