"Rose on Cloth" 8"x10"

Oil on 8"x10" Linen Panel
I wanted to try this white cloth again, it takes on such interesting forms, and the shapes and shadows that can be created are endless! I recieved a few roses for Valentine's Day, so I put one in just for a little color. It didn't have any leaves attatched to it, so I pulled some from another rose, and added them in the picture too.
It occurred to me afterward, that the rolled shape of the cloth sort of resembles the curled inner petals of a rose in a way....or maybe it's just me...
I'm very happy with this one.

A Sunshine Award

Thank you to artist Claire Beadon Carnell for sending me a Sunshine Award. It is very much appreciated!! I will have to pass on sending it along to 12 others though, as I just haven't had time lately to spend on it, and I suspect that most of the artists I would send it to have already received it anyway! So, thank you for thinking of me Claire!!

Painting Practice

"Fruit on Cloth" oil on 8"x10" linen panel (above)
"Cloth" oil on 5"x7" hardboard panel
I had trouble painting the cloth in the fruit painting and kept wiping it out, so I finally decided maybe it looked just fine the way it was, a bit unfinished. I signed it, but, I'm still not sure if I'll go back to it.
Then I spent a few hours making small drawings of the cloth. I tried to focus only on the shadow shapes while closing one eye, and squinting. It made it much easier to map out those shapes first and then connect them with more detail afterward. I know this, but fail to remember to actually do it most of the time. I did this a few times, changing the position of the cloth after each drawing. I enjoyed that so much, I decided to do a small painting too.
I read this quote on a blog once, I wish I could remember where, but it said this...
"Draw every day for five minutes, and if you don't feel like it, then draw until you do." -Unknown
I sometimes forget how valuable drawing is, until I spend some time doing it.

"A Single Egg"

Oil on 5"x7" Gessobord
I had a terrible time trying to get a photo of this without glare. This is the best one I could get.
I really like this painting tho, it's a simple subject but the shadows make it seem more dramatic, and my favorite part is the thin orangey glow along the top edge of the egg.
Thank you everyone for all of your great comments!

"Cut Apple"

Oil on 6"x6" Ampersand Gessobord

"Sea Shells"

Oil on 5"x5" hardboard panel
It's been a long winter already, and these sea shells remind me of summer. They seemed like a nice subject to paint while it's snowing outside. The shells were just sitting in a small box, on a piece of cardboard, but I wanted to add the blue/green color to represent the color of water.
Since I'm not too familiar with painting the shapes of shells, I took my time painting this. I found that going very slowly, with small touches of paint at a time, created a certain look to the painting that I really like. I'm going to try this approach again next time.

"Apple in Shadows"

Oil on 5"x7" Canvas Panel
I like the shadow patterns in this one, and the deep color of the apple. Sorry about the bit of glare in the upper right corner.

Fruit re-painted

Oil on 5"x7" canvas panel
I liked this painting alot, but something about that tangerine bothered me. It seemed too perfectly round, and the nobby end was at an awkward angle, and I had a hard time making it look right. (Scroll down to see the previous painting) So, I put an orange in it's place. I like this much better.