"Eating Watermelon and Painting Grapes"

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I took some bites out of this wedge of watermelon so it would fit in the picture better, but I almost couldn't stop it was so good! 

"Bananas with Cherries and Grapes" Oil on 6x6 board

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Bananas with Black cherries, Rainer cherries and green grapes. 

I gathered some fruit to arrange for a painting, and set it up on top of my dresser, and as I added things and took things away I set them aside on this lower table.  Nothing I was arranging looked very interesting, but then I noticed the fruit I had been setting aside!( pictured)  There was a nice little arrangement all ready for me!  I added more grapes to it,  and began a drawing then painted it. 

 

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"Cherries and Creamer" Oil on 6x6 inch board

I painted these cherries the other day.  I had only the cherries and metal measuring cup, and when it was done, it seemed a bit empty, so I put it aside to think about what to do.  I decided to add the creamer, and it looks much better to me.  More complete.   Here are some pics of work in progress....

I decided to add one last cherry....  instead of placing it in the set up, I tried it out in front of the painting to see how it would look. 

"Fruit and Eggs" Oil on 5x7 inch board

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This painting started out with just the eggs and bananas on a light background.  It seemed kind of bland to me the way it was, so I added a dark background and the pomegranate.  I like it much better now. 

"Pomegranate and Dove" Oil on 5x7 inch board

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This little dove was a decoration I had on the Christmas tree that I never put away... I thought I might add it to a still life sometime.  So, it's been sitting around, along with many other things that have been collecting on my table.  I had pushed a bunch of stuff aside to make room to set something up.  After lots of messing around with possible subjects,  I noticed the dove, pomegranate, leaves and cloth had gotten pushed together off to the side, and it looked better than anything I had been trying to put together!   I tried some different background colors and decided on the green.
I first made this little value sketch on toned paper using a dark pencil and white conte stick.

I started painting on a hardboard panel toned with (dry) gray acrylic paint. 

After I had finished painting, I wondered if the background could be a touch darker... and I took this picture of my painting in black and white on my camera...

... I thought, if it looks good just in black and white, then the values are probably ok the way they are.

"Apple and Book" Oil on 5x7 in. board

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I had a hard time getting an accurate photo of this one.  The red always came too bright.  I tried my best to get it looking as close as I could.  But, then, everyone's monitor is different too, so ... how close can I really get???  It's a nice, quiet little painting, I like it alot. 

"Apple and Leaves" work in progress...

This is what I worked on today...Oil on board....the board is 5x7 with a thin dry coat of acrylic paint over the gesso. 

I found that the biggest challenge with this set up was how to paint the blackness of the background light enough to show an even darker shadow.  And to paint the black book with values that would stand out against the dark background. 

... as I was picking up my camera to take another progress shot, it occurred to me that I could switch it to video mode and see if I could take a short video while painting.    I had to hold the camera and paint, and try to keep it aimed at my painting while I looked away at my palette..not easy!.. haha... just a short experiment of 2 or 3 minutes.  I tried to add the video to this post, but kept getting an error message when uploading it.  I don't know enough about these things... I'll have to try again sometime.. or ask one of my sons for help :-)

"Eggs, Butter and Sugar" Oil on 5x7 board

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I changed the table top in this painting. (scroll down a bit to see pics in progress).  When I started it I had a white cloth there, but decided to change to the wood table.  I like it better.  It gives a nice contrast and interesting reflections.  The eggs were fun to do, I'd like to try them again.  The butter, not so much...  that pale yellow was a challenge. 

"Red Grapes, White Cloth, and Orange" Oil on 6x6 in. board

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"Lemon, Blue and Green" OIl on 5x7 inch board

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I haven't been able to take any pictures or post anything in a few days,  I was having problems with my camera.  I have been painting though, and now that I have a working camera, I can catch up.  I set my previous painting aside, (the one of the eggs, butter and sugar bowl) because I want to make some changes.  I started this one, I like the combination of the blue and yellow.  And, now that I look at it, I notice the green leaves and the leaf shapes on the wall paper make a nice combination also!

Fiesta Sugar bowl

I borrowed this little vintage sugar bowl from my Mom, I love the turquoise color of it, and it's shape.  I thought the yellow color of the butter would go nicely with it, and I propped up a wallpaper design for the background.  I'm finding that these colors are quite different than what I usually pick to paint, so I'm having trouble trying to decide whether or not I like it.  It's coming together slowly....  and since it's getting late, I'm going to have to continue working on it tomorrow. 

"Fruitfull" Oil on 5x7 board

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I drew my set up first.  I find that if the drawing keeps me interested, I will enjoy painting it.  If I get impatient and don't want to finish the drawing, I know to do something different.

Instead of drawing it over again on my board, I decided to trace my drawing and transfer it to my board.  After tracing it, I retraced on the back with a charcoal pencil, and laid the tracing paper over my board and rubbed the drawing onto it.  (it occurred to me as I saw the reversed image, that the painting would look good flopped the other way too... hmmm...I couldn't decide, so I stayed with what I already had done).

Painting in... so fun!  I love painting over the gray colored ground, (which is a mix of white and raw umber acrylic paint)  The colors just pop!

Almost done.. just one grape to go.  I love all the different colors in this one contrasted against the black book cover and gray background.

"A Bartlett Pear"

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Happy Easter Everyone... Enjoy Your Day!!!!

I had bought a couple of these bartlett pears because of their  beautiful scarlet and yellow/green coloring.   They were a bit greener when I bought them, and drew them .(see them Here).  But, by the time I made this painting a couple days later, they were more yellow.  Just as striking either way tho!

"Cup with Grapes and Orange" Oil on 6x6 in. board

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I was all over the place with this one,  but I finally finished it up, and I'm happy with it. 

Cup with Fruit and Book... (WIP)

 I set this little still life up the other day, and began to paint thinking I would change the design on the cup. So, I made up a design to put on it, thinking it looked pretty good.   But,  I didn't like the blandness of the gray background and decided green would be a nice color to add.  I painted it a warm greenish gray, and didn't like that, so I scraped it off and painted it more of a blue/green color, which I thought was great until some time went by and I saw it again and it looked too bright of a color.

 I scraped it off... and decided I didn't like the design I had made up on the cup, so I scraped that off, and repainted it with the original design.  Then repainted the background with a neutral sort of orange color...

and the whole time.. I'm thinking..  .... Why haven't you learned your lesson!!! How many times do I have to tell you????  Don't start painting until you are sure of what you are doing!!!!!!!!

I really like the orange slices and the grapes tho... so.... that won't change, but who knows where the rest will go??

"Fruit and Story Book"

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Below: work in progress...

I started off with a dark green background, but changed it to a lighter gray.

"Raisin Bagel and Strawberries" Oil on 5x7 board

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Below: Work in Progress photo

"Apples, Tangerine and Mum" Oil on 5x7 board

I thought I might include a picture of my palette, I never think to do that, but I always think it's interesting when other artists show theirs.  So here's mine for this painting... I've got cad. yellow, cad. red, alizarin crimson, winsor blue, titanium white, and some burnt umber.  .. oh, and ultramarine blue is on there, but I don't think I used it much.  I was trying to get my colors mixed mostly from the alizarin, yellow and w. blue.
The little purple cap is off a milk jug, I save them and use them to put a little medium in, so I don't have to dip into the jar. I don't use much, so I don't put much in the cap, and then I just toss it out when I'm done.  
I had drawn a picture of the dark apple yesterday, and love how dark the color was. (you can see it on my sketchbook page here.)  It's so dark red/violet it's almost black!  I've been taking the time to draw alot more often, and it's helped a great deal with my painting. 

"Bananas, Books and an Orange"

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Here is my finished painting.  A small note to buyers, it was painted over another painting, and has some small painted sketches on the back ( has nothing to do with the painting on the front, and no idea why I had done it, but it's there, just fyi)