"Tangerine and Mug" 5"x7"

Oil on 5"x7" gessobord

I've been wondering why I haven't had much luck with my paintings lately. There have only been a couple here and there that I've been happy with, the 4 or 5 disappointing ones just got set aside, and ignored.. (poor things!) I wondered why that was happening. Why wasn't I happy with them? And, I wasn't happy while I painted them either. It seemed like every stroke I put down, I needed to correct. Then everything would start to look over worked and boring... and I'd loose interest in finding and correcting the problems in it.
I wondered why I never felt that way while I drew. I'm always happy with my drawings. I'm never worried how they will come out, I don't usually labor over them and correct any strokes...
So, I decided to try and figure out how to paint more like I draw. I set up this tangerine, and coffee mug, and drew it a few times. Then I practiced some oil sketches on a piece of gessoed paper (the first time I ever painted on gessoed paper, it's nice!) Then, once I was all warmed up, I went ahead and did this painting. I like it alot, it's a colorful little thing! and I'm happy with it.

Rose Still life

Oil on 5"x7"x 1/4" Linen Panel.
The linen panel I used is by Utrecht, called "hand oil primed Belgian linen". I only bought one to try, and I liked it. One of these days I'll have to get some more.

A rose, in progress.

I think the time I spent drawing was time well spent. I happened to change the way I held my pencil, and just that small change really affected the way I drew! I slowed down, and was more observant and calm. I think it has something to do with the "right brain, and left brain."
Years ago, I read the book, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards, and it really gave me an understanding of how the brain works while doing something creative. It seems that the left brain, just wants to hurry and get the job done in the quickest way possible, so I always wind up drawing what I think I see rather that whats really there. If there is a reason that the left brain can't get the job done the way it's used to doing it, it will stop, and let the right brain take over. And the right brain will be more patient, and observant, and so on...
If you've ever tried to copy a drawing that is turned upside down, you're left brain will give up pretty quickly, since it can't make logical sense of the picture. But you're right brain will gladly take over and have a pleasant time working on the task. It's really a nice feeling. I'm thinking that when I was holding my pencil in an unfamiliar way, my left brain gave up trying to get the drawing done, and the more creative right side took over.
I started working on a painting while trying to remember that more patient, calm way of being while creating. I have set up a rose in a coffee mug, and changed my lighting around to create more interesting shadows. Here is a picture of what I'm working on.

Still Sketching....

I think I have been bitten by the sketching bug, because lately that's all I seem to want to do. I love to draw, and maybe I haven't been doing enough of it. I've tried a couple of small paintings, but half heartedly, and it shows. I put them aside for another day.
The weather has been so pleasant this last week or so, that when I do have spare time, I just want to be outside, and not cooped up in the house with the a/c. So, I gather all my favorite sketch books, and pencils and pens and stuff, and go outside and draw whatever is around. It's so relaxing, and calming, especially on a nice summer day.
I have found this brown sketching paper, which is so cool!! so much fun to sketch with dark pencil, or black fine marker, and highlight with white charcoal pencil, or white colored or pastel pencil. The other sketches of my hands are in my moleskine sketchbook, using an ebony drawing pencil. I find using a tissue to smudge the pencil works very nicely, and a kneaded eraser to make highlights.
Now, I think I'll go back outside and draw somemore....

Drawing and Painting

I've always wanted one of those little moleskine sketch books, and I finally bought one the other day! I've been passing the time sketching in it, and I thought this sketch of a daisy and leafy stem in a vase would make a nice little painting, but...
(oil on 5x7 canvas panel)
... I kinda like the sketch better than the painting. I think maybe the subject is too centered on the panel, in the drawing it is more off set. And, I'm just not satisfied with the green colors.. but, thought I'd post it anyway. Tomorrow's another day...

"Two Peaches"

Oil on 6"x8" Canvas Panel
I haven't had much time to paint lately, and the last couple of paintings I did were too blah to post. I'll have to rework them, or something... but this one, I love! I picked these peaches because of their dark red and orange swirls of color.
I used some transparent earth red. and alizarin crimson, with yellows and oranges for the peach colors, and also for the background colors. I used prussian blue also, and viridian.