Debbie's Art Space

"An Apple a Day" Oil on 6x6 inch board

2012-01-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

Available on ebay, Click Here to bid

I made this painting because I wanted to paint the wooden cutting board. I just remembered, I originally had wanted to paint it with the corner extending out beyond the table top and casting a shadow.... Looking at it now, I realize I didn't do that at all... and I don't know why?! lol.

"Jelly Heart on Toast" Oil on 5x7 board

2012-01-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

Available on ebay, Click here

I started out wanting to paint some toast and strawberry jam, but when I put the jam on the toast it seemed to form a heart shape, so I thought having it in a heart shape was a much better idea- with Valentines Day coming up!

"Mineola and Bananas" Oil on 6x6" board

2012-01-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

Available on ebay, Click Here to bid

I tried to get a nice rhythm of light/dark/light/dark.. going through this painting. I've always liked that affect. I've also been trying to keep edges in mind as I go... I like edges that disappear and return, become sharper and then fade... it's so hard to do, I keep wanting to define all the lines.
I was planning on posting this last night, but we had a strong wind storm come through, and our power was knocked out! What a surprise to be suddenly in complete darkness... we were using our cell phone display lights to find our way to candles and flashlights, lol.

"Coffee, Eggs, and Grapes" Oil on 6x6 inch panel

2012-01-15T21:10:00.001-05:00

I don't know what my trouble has been, but lately any time I try and paint, I wind up with something I'm not happy with. I have a hard time controlling the paint, I eventually get frustrated and can't finish. I set up this little still life and 1/2 way into painting it, I stopped and scraped it off, and decided to draw and sketch instead of trying for a finished painting.
Above is one of my quick sketches with pastel pencil on gray paper, and below is an 8x10 inch canvas panel, that I divided into 4 spaces. In each space I tried something different. In one square I drew the still life with pencil on the gessoed surface, and sprayed workable fixative over it. After it dried, I painted it in. It was fun to do, but nothing that I thought made a big enough difference to me. And the paint is taking longer to dry in that square. A couple other squares I toned with some thinned raw umber, once dry I wiped some linseed oil onto the panel before I painted. That worked out ok, but I not a big difference there either. Some where along the way I mixed some turpentine, linseed oil and stand oil together, and used that to thin my paint a bit while I painted and that helped! And along the way I was also playing with the idea of only using black, burnt sienna, cad. yellow and white. So, I made little squares of mixtures I made with only those colors. It was fun to see all the different shades I could mix, and how different a color looked depending on the white or toned background. The little rows of 3 on each side of the divided line mirror each other, they are the same colors.

Finally after all of that playing around, I repainted my picture and was happy with how it worked out. In the final painting, I used more colors than the limited palette.

"Quiet" Oil on 8x10 inch canvas panel

2012-01-08T21:30:00.002-05:00

Painting available on Etsy, Click here to go there

My interest in drawing has been pretty strong lately. During my visit to the Art Store, I bought myself some conte pencils, and a set of conte pastel pencils. Plus, some toned papers to draw on. I set up this little still life to draw from, and I after I drew it, I thought it might make a nice painting. I had recieved quite a few 8x10 canvases and canvas panels for Christmas, so I used one for this painting. It's nice for a change to paint on a larger surface. I named it "Quiet" because every time I look at it, that's what it makes me think of.. a quiet and peaceful moment.

"Peeled Orange" Oil on 5x7 board

2012-01-03T21:05:00.001-05:00

The holidays are finally behind us, and now is the time I look forward to... getting back the time to do the things I like to do.. which means for me, spending time drawing and painting! And spending my gift card to the Art Store!! Yay!!

"Lemon and Cloth" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-12-31T21:05:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!!

"Pomegranate" Oil on 6x6 gessobord

2011-12-27T22:05:00.001-05:00

I painted this pomegranate a couple of weeks ago, and set it aside. I wasn't sure about the blue/green background, but looking at it now, I like it. I finally got a chance to paint something new today, I'll be posting it as soon as I get a chance to take a picture of it.

♥ Merry Christmas ♥

2011-12-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

I did this painting last year at this time, and it's one of my favorites. I'm posting it because I haven't been able to paint anything new lately, as I was unexpectedly ill all last week, and this week I have been trying to catch up on Christmas shopping and things. Hopefully after the holiday I will be able to get some new paintings done. I just wanted to keep in touch and I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season! Enjoy!!

"Tea Cup with Holly" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-12-11T21:08:00.007-05:00

I've been in the mood to paint something festive. I haven't had as much time as I'd like to paint lately, but I was happy to get this one done. As soon as I set it up, I couldn't wait to paint it, it just looked so pretty.

Thank you for the comments!

"Bosc Pears" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-12-04T21:02:00.001-05:00

These bosc pears have an elegant shape that attracted me to paint them. But, I thought the color might be kind of boring to paint, but, not at all.. it's really a very nice warm golden brown.

"Autumn Still Life with Pine Cone" Oil on 5x7 hardboard

2011-12-01T21:56:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd try one more painting of one of these little pumpkins. I added a pine cone I found outside, and some mixed nuts and cranberries. I thought it made a nice little autumn still life.

"Christmas Bulbs" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-11-29T21:35:00.002-05:00

These are my favorite kind of ornaments. They've been around for years and years... and years! My mom always called them "bulbs". Every so often one breaks, but they are tough little things, even though they are made of glass.
Thank you all for the wonderful comments you've sent my way!!

"Tangerine and Apple" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-11-20T21:05:00.001-05:00

I set these two into a box for something different. I like the shadows it created. I wanted to add some cranberries, but I decided to go without them this time.. It was hard not to put them in!! lol

"Pears and Cranberries" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-11-17T20:41:00.002-05:00

These two pears looked a bit ordinary, so I made a string of cranberries and added that in for something different. Now, it has sort of a holiday feel to it, which matches the weather lately. We just got a little bit of snow tonight for the first time this year, and it really made it feel like Christmas is just around the corner. This auction will end on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

"Peeled Orange and Grapes" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-11-14T11:27:00.001-05:00

I've been painting a lot lately, but just couldn't seem to get interested enough in a subject to come up with an interesting painting. I'd paint something, and wipe it off... and paint again, and wipe off. I thought it might help if I changed to a different smaller table top easel, and move my lights and set up around, and got a more comfortable chair to sit in, and after a few more tries, I got this painting, which I am finally happy with. I peeled the orange days ago, but I kept it wrapped tightly in plastic in the fridge until I could get a good painting of it. It worked out pretty good.

"Lemon, Lime and Cranberries"

2011-11-07T21:25:00.002-05:00

Oil on 6x6 Gessobord panel.

"Mango and Strawberries" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-11-04T21:38:00.002-04:00

The pile of mangoes in the store looked so colorful, I wondered if painting just one would be just as colorful. I took my time picking this one out, I wanted one with all the colors in it. I think it turned out pretty good! and, I couldn't help but add some berries too. I've got a "thing" for cranberries lately, I can't help but put them in the picture, they are so pretty... like little gems, and they last! I've had these same ones out for days!

LIttle Gourds Autumn Still Life, Oil on 6x6 board

2011-11-03T21:04:00.002-04:00

These little gourds are so cute, and colorful. I added a few cranberries again, and some autumn leaves. I'd like to try another painting of them, but I think for now I'm going to move on to something else. I bought a mango at the store, and I've never painted one of those before so I think I will try that next.

"Three Little Gourds" Oil on 5x7 hardboard

2011-11-01T21:32:00.002-04:00

I found these little gourds at a farm market near my home.. there were bins full of them in so many different shapes and colors. I brought a bunch home, but these were the only ones so far that I could manage to paint... I found it really difficult! I threw in a few cranberries for scale... these gourds are only about the size of a small apple. My favorite part is the twisty stem on the center one.

"A Day at the Beach" 8x10 Oil on board

2011-10-25T14:37:00.001-04:00

work in progress....


Above: Work in progress.... Below: The finished painting

I had started this painting a few weeks ago, when the weather was still sunny and warm. I lost interest in it, when the weather turned colder and rainy. Recently Daily Paintworks began a new fund raising auction for "Every Mother Counts". This is an aid organization dedicated to improving maternal health around the world. You can read more about it here.
This fundraiser's theme is "mom", and as I was wondering what I could paint for this challenge, I remembered the one I had started.. it pictures an expectant mom and her girls out for a walk on the beach. It was the perfect thing to inspire me to finish the painting, and put it up for auction, all proceeds will go to the "Every Mother Counts" charity.

"Sliced Acorn Squash" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-10-19T14:43:00.001-04:00

This squash was fun to paint, I loved the yellow/orange color of the inside, especially in the light.

"Apple and Cloth" oil on 6x6 inch board

2011-10-16T21:43:00.001-04:00

Here is my finished apple. I had a hard time photographing it because all of the different shades of red would just come out one bright shade of red. This one is pretty close though. The cloth was fun to paint, I think I'll try using it more often.

work in progress... Apple and Cloth 6x6

2011-10-14T23:23:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've been having trouble painting lately. So, I just thought I'd share what I've been doing... I've noticed I haven't been taking the time I should in really thinking through what color I am mixing, and using and why. I start a painting and rush ahead, wanting to get it finished. I make too many mistakes and wind up correcting and getting too much paint on the surface. I scrape it off and go at it again. It's like I'm just guessing at what color to put down and hoping it looks right. And when it's not right, I get disappointed! Well, duh!! So, I wanted to slow down, and start from scratch. I thought an apple and cloth might be a good, uncomplicated subject to start with. I started with a sort of value study. There had been a "value" painting challenge on Daily Paintworks a few weeks ago, that was to do a painting using 4 values, black, white, light gray and dark gray. I kept my attention on doing that, and took my time.
When I decided to start using color, I really slowed myself down, and used only the tiniest bit of paint. Just a whisper of color.. and then I'd sit and think about where to go next.
Instead of staring and squinting at a certain area in the subject to judge the color or value, I have started to only glance for a moment, not aiming my gaze at a certain point, but just getting a sense of the area peripherally. And instead of squinting, I found that just relaxing my eyelids and tipping my chin up a bit to see is easier on my eyes. It seems the longer I stare, the more time my eyes have to focus on what I'm looking at, and to adjust to the brightness, then my sight is dulled to the true contrasts and colors. I went on to finish this painting, just haven't taken a picture of it yet. I like how it came out, and I had a nice painting experience. I remembered how pleasant and relaxing painting can be, and should be... I can't wait to try again tomorrow :-)

"White Acorn Squash and Tomatoes" Oil on 8x8 board

2011-10-12T21:16:00.001-04:00

I really enjoyed painting this squash, I love the colors of it, and the reds of the tomatoes are a nice compliment to the dark green stripes. I think the tomatoes are a San Marzano variety.

Work in progress.... Acorn Squash 8x8

2011-10-11T13:27:00.000-04:00

I thought I would post a picture of my progress on this squash painting. If I would have thought of it sooner in the painting process, I could have shown how I started, which was on a dry toned board, sketching shapes lightly in with a small dry bristle brush and a small amount of burnt umber paint. I think the type of squash is a white acorn squash. The tomatoes are from a friends garden, they are "heirloom" tomatoes and have different shades of orange and red, and have a long shape. I have a few small details to finish on it, like the little tendrils on the stem end of the tomatoes. I hope I can get it finished and get a good picture of it today, tomorrow it will be raining, and I like to take my pictures outside in natural light. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for stopping by!

"Red Pear and Lemon" Oil on 6x8 Linen panel

2011-10-10T21:09:00.001-04:00

I had started this painting a few days ago, and had trouble finishing it. But, I finally had a chance to get back to it and I finished it up today. I also started a new one of acorn squash, and tomatoes, which I hope to finish tomorrow.

"Lemon and Water" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-10-02T21:03:00.002-04:00

"Ripe Peaches" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-10-01T18:32:00.001-04:00

Still working on this one

2011-09-28T22:00:00.001-04:00

I've colored in my beach painting. I'm happy with the water, and am learning more as I go about painting the figures. After taking this photo, I used a palette knife to scrape the excess paint off of the mom and girls. I want to paint them over again. Plus, I forgot to put in the seagulls.
This is oil on 8 x10 inch hardboard panel.
A little side note.... the day I was at the beach taking pictures, it was very bright and sunny. I couldn't see the image on the cameras viewfinder very well, I just pointed in the general direction and clicked the button. When I got home, and looked through the images, I was surprised to see the little girl in the middle had turned to look at me in this one! and I thought I had gone unnoticed.. ha! That's why I chose this particular one to paint.

work in progress

2011-09-23T14:44:00.000-04:00

Today, I decided that if I was going to paint this picture of the beach, then I had better go back to the beach and figure out the actual colors of the sky and water, and sand. So, I packed up a few tubes of paint, (blue, red, yellow and white), a paint knife, a disposable palette pad, and a few other odds and ends and headed out. The painting I had started with a sketch(using thinned terra rosa paint) a few days ago was dry and I took it along too. It was a warmish sunny day, but super breezy out on the sand!! A big difference from the light breeze at home. There was no one else there.. hahaha... nobody except one person wind surfing out in the water. I fought with the wind, trying to mix up some colors, and hang onto things so they didn't blow away. I was sitting in the sand, and low enough where the wind was blowing the sand into the paint on my palette, and it collected on everything... then it clouded up, and once the sun went in, it felt very chilly... I just laughed, and thought of all the artists, past and present, who had probably dealt with these same kinds of things. How do they do it?!!

It was a good experience tho, the colors I mixed were nothing like what I would have mixed just looking at the photo at home. I didn't stay long, just about an hour, long enough to get an idea of color. Once the sun went in, things looked a bit different. The sand was the hardest to match, I don't think I ever really got it down. Here is a picture of my sketch so far, with the palette I had taken to mix paint on.

"Limes with White Cloth" Oil on 5x7 in. board

2011-09-16T21:09:00.001-04:00

I didn't have much time or desire to paint this week, but I started this one anyway, and fought with the green for days! haha... I finally abandoned it, and when I went back today, I was able to figure it out and finish it up with fresh thinking. Now, I can move on....
I sort of wanted to start a painting of a scene at the beach. It was a rare lovely warm sunny day here on Tuesday, and I spent some time at the beach, walking along the sand, watching the seagulls and the few people that were out enjoying the sun and water. I sat in the warm sand and took pictures of the water, seagulls and then of a mother and her two small girls that walked past me. I always kind of want to do paintings of people, but taking pictures of them in public always makes me feel so intrusive, and I feel like I'm spying on them or something!! So, it doesn't happen often. But, I think this time I will try to do a painting of the mom and girls.. we'll see how it goes.

"Floral Tea Cup and Strawberry" 6"x8" oil on board

2011-09-10T11:47:00.002-04:00

This tea cup belonged to my grandmother. The floral design and unusual shape are what drew me to paint it. I couldn't help but add some fruit, that's always my favorite thing to paint.

"Pansies in a Sake Cup" oil on 5x5 board

2011-09-05T12:45:00.003-04:00

Daily Paintworks Help the Starving Children of Africa Auction

I'm back from my trip and this painting has been sitting on my easel since last week. The first thing I wanted to do when I got home was to get a painting up for auction for the Daily Paintworks "Help the Children of Africa" Challenge. I just finished this one up today and am happy to have it up for auction, 100% of the final value will be donated to World Vision, designated to help feed the children who are starving in Africa.... I have children myself.. and the thought of helplessly watching them starve is horrifying. It doesn't seem like donating the price of a painting would help, but with all of the many artists who will join in this challenge, and donate together, I think it will help a great deal.

Shipping will be free for this painting, and the buyer will pay by paypal as usual and I will send it on to World Vision. The buyer will receive a receipt showing the donation.
Thank You to all who donate a painting and to all who bid!

"Black Plum and Assorted Fruit" oil on 6x6 board

2011-08-25T20:27:00.001-04:00

I had painted this a few weeks ago, but wanted to touch up a few things before I posted it. I will be out of town for a week visiting and working with a friend. I'll be back and painting after Labor Day. Thanks to everyone who follows my blog, buys my artwork and sends their thoughts and comments! I appreciate it sooooo much!!

"Games for a Rainy Day" oil on 5x5 board

2011-08-16T21:01:00.004-04:00

We've had a dry summer so far, and finally we had a long rainy day a couple of days ago, and I stayed in and painted this. It was a long, quiet afternoon and it made me think of all the different games to play to pass the time while it's raining outside.

"Golden Cherries and Peach" Oil on hardboard 5"x7"

2011-08-13T15:40:00.002-04:00

I just can't resist these pretty cherries. Their colors are so irresistible, but hard to capture in a painting, so I keep trying. This board has a bit of a different texture on it's surface, because I primed it with an oil ground and used a little paint roller to do it. Just something different to try.

and by the way....

Today is "International Left-Handers Day"!!! So, Happy Left Handers Day to all you fellow leftys out there!!

"Coffee Mug and Cherries" Oil on 5x5 gessobord

2011-08-10T14:15:00.001-04:00

This is my entry to this week's Daily Paintworks painting challenge. The challenge was to paint your favorite mug, and also there was a link to helpful instructions for painting (or drawing) an ellipse shape. I used this method to paint the top of the mug, and it really helped. The hint about using a dotted line first is what helped the most.

"Black Grapes and Cabernet Sauvignon" Oil on 8x6 linen panel

2011-08-08T21:06:00.003-04:00

This is a glass of cabernet sauvignon, a dark red wine that I bought so that I could paint a picture of it with these beautiful black grapes. The grapes were delicious, but the wine... I wasn't fan. Well, not a big fan, it didn't go to waste. :-)
I especially like the way the cold wine caused moisture to condensate on the glass. It was a warm day, and the wine sat while I painted, and that little patch of wetness sweating on the side eventually disappeared as the wine warmed up. But, I kept it in my picture.
This is painted on a Belgian linen panel, and has a fine texture to the surface that photographed a little grainy, especially when I decreased the size of the image for posting. The original looks a bit smoother in person.

"Cherries, Plum, Banana" Oil on 5x7 gessobord.

2011-08-02T21:04:00.001-04:00

More of the golden cherries and black plum. I thought the yellow banana made a nice contrast with them.

"Golden Rainier Cherries" Oil on 6"x6" board

2011-07-29T21:09:00.001-04:00

These beautifully colored cherries are available here for a short time in the summer, and I can't resist them. I have them here in the painting sitting in a vintage milk glass cup. They are bigger than regular cherries, and their colors go from a pale yellow to red.

"Lemon and Cherries 7/11" Oil on 7x5 board

2011-07-26T11:56:00.002-04:00

This painting started out as sort of an experiment just to try out a couple of new brushes I had, to kind of see how the paint would go on. I painted a few things just as a test, and wiped them off, but when I painted the cherries, I liked them and didn't want to wipe them off. But, I had to add something.. so I added the whole lemon. But.. it still needed something, so I cut some wedges off the lemon and arranged those a few different ways, and took a bite of one of the cherries and put that in. I also went through many different shades of blue/green/gray at the top, scraping each shade off and adding a new one with a palette knife... and I liked the rough look the knife created in the paint, so I left it that way once I found the shade I liked. It is more gray than blue, I think it might appear brighter on monitors than it is in life.
I usually plan my set up before I paint, but this one just came about a bit differently.

"Black Plums, Peach and Cherries" Oil on 6x6 gessobord

2011-07-23T18:18:00.001-04:00

I can't help it, I love painting fruit! And since it's been so ridiculously hot outside the past few days, I don't mind sitting inside in the a/c to paint.

"Watermelon and Cherries" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-07-17T13:22:00.001-04:00

What's better on a hot day than a few slices of watermelon!
This painting can be purchased through the Daily Paintworks auction. It is a nice alternative to ebay, since DPW sells only artwork. It's a great site for collectors to go to, there is a huge selection of artists, and hundreds of paintings all in one place to choose from. I have been using both ebay and DPW auctions to sell. It's fun, something new and different to try.

"Garden Angel" Oil on 8x10 inch Linen Panel

2011-07-10T21:33:00.004-04:00

Available on etsy
I've been feeling a little cramped painting on the smaller panels lately, so I thought I'd spread out a bit, and pulled out an 8x10 inch panel to paint on. I've had this angel for a few years, and I've always thought of painting it, so finally I gave it a try. The flowers from my garden are some hydrangeas, bachelor buttons, and the deep pink one in front is a cosmo.

"Summer Fruit" Oil on 6x6 board

2011-07-07T21:01:00.001-04:00

Summer ripe fruit, I love all the colors.

"Red Pepper Cheese and Grapes" Oil on 5x7 board

2011-07-06T21:43:00.002-04:00

I bought this wedge of cheese because of the red rind, and red pepper flecks in it. I forget what sort of cheese it is, I threw the wrapper away. Anyway, I thought it would make a nice painting... hot hot hot!!... just like the summer weather we've been having, and chilled grapes to cool off with.

Tea with "S" Cookie Oil on 7x5 board

2011-07-03T21:38:00.001-04:00

I bought a package of these cookies just so I could paint one of them. The one I finally painted was the last in the package, they went fast!! And this one didn't go to waste.

Happy 4th of July Everyone!! Enjoy!

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

2011-06-22T21:01:00.001-04:00

I wanted to change the angle of my set up, so I set this fruit up on a lower table, and stood to paint. ( I usually sit). I noticed that when I stand, my palette is further away, and my arm isn't as steady when I reach for it, and I use more paint to mix with. It's much more comfortable to sit, but standing seems to cause my painting to come out with a looser look. Which is the effect I want. And, standing can only burn more calories than sitting, so that's an extra bonus. :-)

"Pansies" Oil on 6x6 in. board

2011-06-20T21:01:00.001-04:00

Pansies are some of my favorite flowers, I love their cheerful little faces. I planted some in my garden this year, and put some of them in this little metal pitcher to paint.

"June Roses" Oil on 6x6 Gessobord Panel

2011-06-16T21:24:00.002-04:00

Available on etsy
We've been having beautiful weather here the past couple of days, and my rose bushes are full of these dark red roses. I painted them with a teacup a couple of days ago, and I wanted to try them again.

"Melon and Berries"

2011-06-15T21:08:00.001-04:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

"June Roses and Tea Cup"

2011-06-12T21:24:00.001-04:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard

I've been trying to focus on putting more thought into the arrangement of values in a painting, and keeping them more defined from each other. I usually start out ok, but somewhere along the way my values get muddy. I think it happens when my palette becomes too messy, and all my paint becomes too mixed, and that's how the painting turns out. (In other words, I just get lazy) This time, I made a little value study on my palette, and focused on sticking to it. When my palette became too messy with mixtures, I cleaned it off and started with fresh mixes. I was very happy with how this painting came out. I'm especially happy with the looseness of it, because it's just the way I envision a painting- not too tight, not too loose. Every so often I get one that I think is just right. :-)

"Petunias and Cherry"

2011-06-09T21:09:00.002-04:00

Oil on 5x7 inch hardboard panel

I thought I'd try painting these petunias again on a light background. I set them in a small white bowl, and added the cherry in the corner where it seemed a bit too empty. I don't usually paint flowers and it's really deceiving how much they actually move while painting them. It isn't noticeable until you go back to a certain flower and it's in a different position than before, and it's in a more interesting position, and you have to decide whether to leave it alone or change it! These petunias were fun to paint though, with their interesting shapes and unusual color.

"Forget-Me-Not and Petunias"

2011-06-05T20:57:00.002-04:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

This is my grandmother's china, it's called "Forget Me Not", The petunias are from my garden, I bought them because of their deep purple/ almost black color. They are so velvety pretty with a thin pinstripe down each petal. I was looking for something to add to the cup and saucer in the picture, and now that flowers are blooming, they made a nice addition. Too bad I don't have any forget me nots!

"More Cherries"

2011-05-29T21:11:00.001-04:00

Oil on 6x6 gessobord panel

I couldn't resist coloring in my value study from the previous post. I like how it came out, the cherries are nice and dark. My favorite part was painting the stems on.

Daily Paintworks Value Challenge

2011-05-28T15:12:00.001-04:00

When I read about the Value Challenge on Daily Paintworks, I thought it was something I really needed to try. I don't usually want to take the time to practice value studies before painting, so I was motivated to try. Carol Marine explains the challenge here, and she suggested using only burnt umber and turpentine, using it to tone the painting surface a medium tone, then painting in the darks, and wiping out with turpentine or mineral spirits to get back the white of the board. I've used thinned burnt umber to tone before, but I usually like to paint in the whites with white paint. I still had my cherries out from the last two paintings, and decided to use them for the exercise.
This was the first time I tried wiping the paint away to get the white of the board back. I found that it works out pretty good, and to get the sharper highlights in the cherries and bowl, I used a q-tip stick (with the cotton end broken off.) My only trouble was trying to continue the next day after it had dried to lighten up the background a bit, it didn't work as well, but, now I know.

This was a very pleasant exercise to do, and I will definitely be putting more thought into value and composition in the future!
Thanks for stopping by, and thank you for your comments! Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone!

"Lemon with Cherries"

2011-05-26T21:10:00.001-04:00

Oil on 6x6 Linen Panel

While doing this painting, I kept changing the background color, or value. One thing I've found that really helps me to see values clearly is my camera. I set it to the "monochrome" setting, then the view on the camera's screen is in black and white. I don't need to take a picture, just quickly view it on the screen, and I can tell right away if my values are too close in range and where I might need more contrast.

"Cherries"

2011-05-22T21:16:00.002-04:00

Oil on 6x6 Gessobord panel

I loved the yellow background color with these bright red cherries. It looks very sunny, and warm... like the weather we've had here for the past few days.. finally!!

"Clementine and Colored Papers"

2011-05-18T21:04:00.006-04:00

Available in my Etsy shop, click here
Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

I have been trying to find something different to add more interest to the backgrounds of my paintings. I have been using these different colored papers to slip under or behind my subjects, and it's always fun to see which colors work, and which ones don't. Then I got the idea to fan a few out, and try it that way. I loved the way this looked, and couldn't wait to paint it.

"Violet Magnolia"

2011-05-08T21:03:00.009-04:00

Oil on 8x6 Linen panel

I'm always trying different things to paint on. Artists always seem to love to paint on linen, so every so often I like to try it. There are so many brands to choose from though, I once tried a sampler pad of 4 or 5 different kinds, they were ok, but I didn't love any of them. I've tried buying a piece of unprimed linen, and making my own linen panels, but.. I didn't love them either. I also had a pad of another kind of oil primed linen, and, same thing, I didn't feel like it was just the right thing for me. The last time I ordered some things from Blick art, I ordered one of their acrylic primed belgian linen panels, and set it aside.
I found this lovely rose/violet colored magnolia growing in a local park, I've never seen a magnolia this color! It was so different and beautiful, I took it home to try and paint a picture of it. I remembered my linen panel, and decided to use it for this painting, and... I LOVED it!!!!!!
It was perfect. I have an order in for more :-)

Break

2011-05-01T11:51:00.000-04:00

I'll be taking a short break, be back next week.

Spring Color

2011-04-24T13:52:00.004-04:00

Oil on 4x4 gessobord

Happy Easter Everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your day. I feel like Spring has finally sprung around here. Tiny daffodils, hyacinths and forsythia are blooming in my garden. The colors in this little painting remind me of the outdoors. The yellows of the flowers, and sun.. the blue green of the sky.

"Polished Stones"

2011-04-22T21:06:00.004-04:00

Oil on 4x4 in. Ampersand gessobord

I bought these little polished stones in a souvenir shop along Virginia Beach years ago. I came across them the other day, and thought I'd try painting them.

"Strawberry Cream Lipstick"

2011-04-20T21:07:00.003-04:00

Oil on 4x4 gessobord

I thought I'd try to paint something a little different, so this lipstick seemed like a fun idea. I like the nice bright pink/orange color of it.

"Delft China Shoe"

2011-04-18T19:36:00.006-04:00

Oil on 4x4 Ampersand Gessobord

This little shoe is part of a delft china set of salt and pepper shakers. I've painted the shakers before, and I think this little shoe is meant to hold something.. maybe toothpicks?? I'm not sure. It seemed like a nice little subject that would fit well onto a 4x4 panel.

"Sand Dollar and Pearl"

2011-04-17T20:52:00.005-04:00

Oil on 5x5 gessobord.

I started painting this about a week ago, just after I painted the previous shells one, and just before I came down with a monster cold. Since then I haven't been doing much of anything, but I'm feeling better now, and getting myself caught up with things. Finishing this one was just the thing to get me started, and I went on to paint a couple more small things today, too. So, I'm feeling much better now!

"Seashells and Pearl"

2011-04-06T21:35:00.003-04:00

Oil on 8x6 hardboard panel

I love seashells, they remind me of the beach and of summer. It amazes me how perfect their shapes are. I wonder how they are formed, and what their former life was like under the sea.
I'm still playing with my background colored boards I made. This time I used a warm nuetral color behind, and a very dark charcoal gray underneath.

"Milk Glass with Strawberries"

2011-04-04T21:05:00.004-04:00

Oil on 8x6 hardboard panel

This little milk glass sugar bowl and creamer looked great next to the bright red berries, and I was excited to paint it until I got to the hobnail design on the glass. I don't know why I just couldn't seem to get it right, I gave it many tries and finally decided that hinting at the shapes and highlights seemed to work well enough.
Time to move on.
I picked out some sea shells for my next painting.

"Wine with Grapes"

2011-03-30T21:12:00.005-04:00

Oil on 8x6 hardboard panel

This is another painting I started last week but I didn't like the heavy dark background it had. (Just the opposite situation from the painting I did in my last post.) So... I thought I might try some lighter neutral background color. I like my dark backgrounds, but I think I'd like something lighter, and fresher for a change. I painted some pieces of poster board with some different light shades of acrylic craft paint. I put a sheet under the grapes and glass and another behind, changing the colors until I got something I liked, a warm gray behind, and a buff color below. The shadow from the glass was a little odd looking to me at first, but I kind of like it now. It's different!

Fruit Still Life

2011-03-29T21:09:00.004-04:00

Oil on hardboard panel, 8x6x1/8 inches.

I had painted this last week, and wasn't really happy with it. I set up the fruit again the other day, and played with the lighting and found that the dark background looked better. (It had been a lighter background. ) So, now I think it looks better.

"Baby's Shoes"

2011-03-26T21:01:00.003-04:00

Oil on 8x6 hardboard panel

These baby shoes belonged to my youngest son, who is now 20 years old. I remember taking him to the shoe store, where the clerk measured his foot and tried these shoes on him. He learned to walk in them... it doesn't seem that long ago! I've always loved this classic style of white baby shoes, they are ageless.

Origami Swan Painting

2011-03-20T12:42:00.005-04:00

Oil on 8x6 in. Hardboard panel.

Available at Daily Paintworks Auction. Click here , and scroll down to view this and other paintings to be auctioned for Japan Relief.

This painting was painted for this week's Daily Paintworks "Help Japan" challenge. The Challenge is to do a painting that will be auctioned off from their site (not ebay), and the proceeds will be donated to Japan Disaster Relief efforts.
When I saw the challenge, I thought I would like to paint a Japanese subject and origami (the Japanese art of paper folding) came to mind. So, I found some video instructions on youtube, and made this paper swan from a piece of printer paper. If you have never tried origami, you should! It's really interesting and fun.
My painting is posted on the Daily Paintworks website on the Help Japan page, along with many other wonderful paintings. They each have a link to their own auction, and the auction lasts 7 days from the time of posting. The purchase will occur between the buyer and artist through paypal. The artist donates the payment to one of the charitable organizations listed. I chose to donate the payment from this painting to the Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Tsunami relief.

"Strawberries and Creamer"

2011-03-17T20:36:00.005-04:00

Oil on 8x6 hardboard panel

I LOVE this painting. I'd been wanting to paint this creamer, but wanted to add something red in the picture. These strawberries seemed to fit right in.

Star Polyhedron Shape

2011-03-15T12:18:00.009-04:00

A Study of Light and Shadow
Oil on 8x6 hardboard panel

I've been a little frustrated lately with my paintings. It seems I can't control the paint as well as I'd like to, and that leads to a lot of scraping off and repainting. So. I decided to take a step back and find out what I could do to improve my painting experiences.
I made up a few panels, coating them with different grounds, like a gray acrylic paint, gesso, or some acrylic medium. Then once dry, I tried a few different things on the panel before I painted, like a film of linseed oil, or liquin, or a mixture of both. Then I thought I would paint a picture of something rather basic just to try things out. So, I made this white star shape (copying it after one that one of my children had made in grade school :-) and painted it. And, I have to say, I found the paint to go on better, spread better and I had better control, which made me very happy. I went on to paint a few more things, which I still have to finish. I'll have them posted over the next few days.

"Cheesecake"

2011-03-11T20:58:00.005-05:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

The most challenging thing about painting this was the color of the cheesecake, and the whip cream. My favorite parts are the chocolate dipped strawberries, and the streaks of chocolate in the cake on the right side. I tried a few different background colors, but this grayish blue green color seemed to do the trick!

"Orange Wedges"

2011-03-07T21:06:00.005-05:00

Available in my Etsy shop, Click Here
Oil on 5x5 in. Gessobord

I like all the different crescent shapes the orange wedges, shadows, and plate created.

Still LIfe with Metal Pitcher

2011-03-06T21:27:00.004-05:00

5x5 Gessobord panel

I bought this little metal pitcher because I wanted to try and paint it. I had an idea of how I wanted the metallic surface and reflections to look, and I'm happy with how it came out. I wanted to give it a clever name, because it seemed to me that the pitcher looks like it is turning it's back to the grapes, or.. the grapes are gathering around the pitcher for some reason... but... as you can see, I didn't come up with anything more clever than "Still Life with Metal Pitcher"
I'll have to give it some more thought. :-)

Spring Masquerade... revised

2011-03-02T10:34:00.006-05:00

Oil on 6x6 panel

Every time I looked at this painting once it was posted, I couldn't help but think that something about it was bothering me. The space around the forehead area looked so empty, like it needed something. I finally realized it was because I hadn't completed the black design that decorates the eyes and runs up onto the forehead. Even though it was already posted on ebay, and "Fresh Paint Daily Painters", I still wanted to change it. So, I added the design, and now I am happy. I've changed the picture on my ebay listing and also on Fresh Paint. That's the first time I've ever made changes to a painting after it was already finished and posted! But, this time, I just couldn't leave it the way it was.

"Spring Masquerade"

2011-02-28T21:04:00.004-05:00

(work in progress)
Oil on 6x6 panel

I had fun painting this mask, so I wanted to try it again. I was thinking it would be nice if I had a flower to add next to the mask, but I didn't have a flower and thought I'd use my colored tissue to make a flower! Well, my tissue flowers didn't come out too good, but they added lots of color. Cheerful and pretty Springtime colors, just the thing to brighten up a gray winter day.

"Mask with Dove" or " A Little Bird Told Me..."

2011-02-26T21:00:00.008-05:00

Oil on 5x7 inch hardboard panel

One of the things I really enjoy drawing are faces. I've had this ceramic mask for years, and I always look at it, and see a painting.. but I always put it off and do something else. I finally decided to play with it a little and found that with the addition of the blue tissue paper, it started to look interesting. I added the little dove beside it..(I have a bunch of different things hanging around on shelves, and the dove caught my eye). It's little red beak matched the mask's red lips and cheeks. I love the blue, and the way it reflected into the shadows. I played with cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, winsor violet and permanent rose in combination with white.
It took me forever to get a good photo though, the blue in every picture came out neon bright, and absolutely glowed in the shadows!! The real painting was not at all like the pictures... so I tried different settings, different lighting... tried photoshop alterations... and I have finally come up with a photo I am satisfied with. At least, on my monitor it looks right... if the blue is overwhelming on your monitor, just know that it is not quite that intense!

"Three Oranges with Leaves" 5x7 Oil on board

2011-02-24T21:15:00.005-05:00

I think one of my favorite colors right now is cadmium orange. I used to go without it, thinking I could just as easily mix some red and yellow together, but... it's easier having the orange. It's fun to play with, mixing it with other colors on the palette to see what I get.

"Tea and Lemon"

2011-02-21T20:58:00.003-05:00

Oil on 5x7 gessobord

I was going to put tea in this cup for the painting, but there is a rose painted on the inside as well as on the outside, and I wanted it to show. The scalloped edge, and rippled shape were a challenge, but I found that if I didn't try too hard to make it perfect, it looked better.

"Strawberry Shortcake"

2011-02-13T13:22:00.006-05:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

I painted this strawberry shortcake from a picture I took last summer. I had set the plate on the kitchen counter, and the light from the window fell on it so nicely, I had to stop and take a picture of it before I ate it, haha. And yesterday, while I was painting it, we had a nice little snow storm blow through from off the lake. I took this picture looking out the window. I'm really getting anxious for Spring to come...

"Wine, Crackers and Cheese"

2011-02-08T21:02:00.005-05:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

I put the tea cups away for a while. This is a glass of pinot noir wine and some crackers and cheese. Whenever I drink wine I have it in this glass, it has a pretty cut/etched design in it, but.. I just left it out. ( I chickened out, I'll have to try it again sometime) I love how the stack of crackers came out, I think that is my favorite part.

"Tea with Lemon"

2011-02-06T21:00:00.004-05:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

I usually don't drink tea, but after I made this cup of earl grey green tea and put in some of the lemon, I really liked it! It seems to be just the thing to have when it's cold out, and snowy, and we've had lots of cold and snowy lately :-)

"Tea Cup and Grapes"

2011-02-04T21:02:00.004-05:00

Oil on 6x6 panel.

I had a blue background on this, thinking that the blue would go nicely with the green grapes. I tried different shades of blue, and I just never loved it. So, finally I decided to just paint a very dark background, ( I think I used viridian, and transparent oxide brown). I like it much better now.

"Egg with Salt and Strawberry"

2011-01-30T20:56:00.004-05:00

Oil on 5x7 hardboard panel

I was getting ready to eat a hard boiled egg one day and had it sitting on the counter, when I decided it looked interesting with some of the things nearby... so I pushed them together and took a few pictures, and then ate my egg. Today, I was going through my picture files looking for something to paint, and decided to try this. I started with a toned board, and tried to keep the paint thin, and keep details to a minimum. I like how it came out.

"Two Strawberries"

2011-01-27T21:04:00.005-05:00

This painting is done on a tiny stretched canvas, it measures 4x4 inches.

"Tea Cup with Lemon and Strawberry"

2011-01-21T20:56:00.005-05:00

Oil on 6x6 Gessobord panel

I think my favorite part of this one is the strawberry, lots of different shades of red, pink and orange. I had a lot of trouble with the lemon, since it is sitting on a silver tray there is quite a reflection coming up from underneath taking out the shadow. I tried to keep the painting loose, but.. somehow, I find I tighten it up a bit in the end. Gotta try not to do that!

"Sweet Evening"

2011-01-18T20:49:00.007-05:00

Oil on 6x6 panel

I set up this little still life, and then didn't have time to paint it until later at night. When I was finished I thought I would give it a name other than "strawberries and grapes". So, that's where the "sweet evening" came from. It was a sweet evening. Nice and quiet and peaceful with the aroma of strawberries under the warm light. The fruit even looks like it's tucked in for the night.

2011-01-16T20:59:00.003-05:00

Oil on 6x6 in. Gessobord panel

Reflecting Cup and Strawberries

2011-01-15T19:36:00.004-05:00

(wip) Oil on 6x6 panel

I painted 3 paintings in the last week. The first two didn't excite me very much, I kept trying to change colors and add things to see if it would help. I set them aside, and chose something new to paint. Some strawberries, a cup, a cloth and a mirror underneath to try something different. And, I finally got excited!! I like this one! Hopefully I'll be able to get a good picture of it tomorrow.

"Clementines and a Sunburst"

2011-01-10T21:05:00.007-05:00

Oil on 8x10 in. canvas

I decided to try something a bit different. I rearranged my room to change the position of my easel and subject. I pushed my chair back, and stood to paint. It made a big difference. (plus, standing burns a few more calories than sitting, and I could sure use that!)
These are some clementines and a sunburst tangerine, sitting on a silver platter, with a vase of green leaves and white cloth. I was attracted to the deep green color and orange together, and the dark wood of the table top. I enjoyed painting the cloth with all it's folds, I think I will do that more often in the future.
Thank you for all the lovely comments everybody!

2011-01-05T14:43:00.003-05:00

Oil on 9x12 hardboard panel (nfs)

Well, I'm finally getting back to normal after that stubborn virus I had. I didn't intend to be away from painting for so long, but now that I'm feeling better I have been getting some things done. One of them is this portrait painting. It was done from a small photo of 3 girls who are family friends. When I saw the picture, I really wanted to try and do a painting of them. I have only done a very few portraits, and as I was painting this one, I remember why. They are so challenging for me. It took 3 months, and many trials and errors to get this painting to look right. I still see things in it I would like to improve, (values in flesh tones mostly) but I just don't quite know how to do that without creating more problems to fix. So, I will leave it as it is.
I learned a great deal in doing this portrait!! Especially about flesh tones and value!! Wow!! It was really far above my skill level... I have such a huge respect and awe for portrait painters!!

A quick note....

2010-12-30T11:23:00.003-05:00

I was looking forward to spending lots of time painting in the days between Christmas and New Years. I have new brushes, new canvases and boards.. etc... but.... the day after Christmas I woke up with a soar throat and fever and a cough... ugh. I've been waiting and waiting to get back to normal, and I'm just now feeling better. I've been trying to catch up with things, I feel so behind. And now my monitor is giving me problems!!! lol.... Hopefully I will get some painting done in the next few days, once I get things in order around here. I wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!! Have Fun!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to All

2010-12-24T11:38:00.004-05:00

(this painting is sold)

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year! I want to thank all of you who follow my blog, collect my artwork, and leave such wonderful and kind comments. It encourages me, and motivates me to always be the best artist I can be.

"Cup with Tangerine and Cranberries"

2010-12-17T20:46:00.005-05:00

Oil on 5x7 board

This sweet little tea cup has a hand painted design on it and a leaf shape in the handle. I think it's just adorable. The tangerine I bought because of it's shiny deep scarlet color. I think it's called a sunburst tangerine. The cranberries I added for their pretty color, they are like little gems. There are also a couple of walnuts in the picture. It seems like the season for them. They only have bins of whole walnuts and other assorted nuts in the grocery store in the winter.
Speaking of winter, it seems we have been getting so much snow in the last couple of weeks that we are nearing a record for December, and the calender hasn't even reached the formal date of the beginning of winter yet!!! I'm tired of the snow already.

Orange and Cranberries

2010-12-10T21:06:00.008-05:00

Oil on 5x7 Ampersand Gessobord

I wanted to try to keep this simple. I didn't want to overwork it, or put in too much detail. I like the loose edges of the orange. I wondered if the leaves should stand out a little more from the background, but they looked this dark, so I painted them this dark and decided not to think too much about it.

"Christmas Bulbs with Cup"

2010-12-08T21:02:00.004-05:00

Oil on 6x6 in. Ampersand Gessobord

I wanted to try these glass bulbs again, they are just so pretty. This will be the last time, I've hung them on the tree now. The tea cup has a sort of pearly iridescent glaze on the inside that was interesting to try and paint, and I just hinted at the gold design around the outside.
It has been snowing here for days, and just today it stopped for a little while, and the sun came out! What a nice break. One good thing about the snow, when the sun comes out, and reflects off of it, alot more light comes in the windows, it's great light to paint in while it lasts!