Scissors Paper Grapes Apple

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

What beats what in this contest? And do we add the cup, or is it just the referee?

Gathering

 

Click Here to Purchase for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Here's another little painting I did a few months ago when I was still able. I'm looking forward to doing some new stuff and have a ton of ideas. I keep a million little post-it notepads around the house for jotting down ideas, and lately I've also been using the Google Notes app on my phone. I love it.

Flower Season

Click to Purchase for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

A tiny arrangement, perfect for a tiny tea party.

Ribbon Cutting

Click Here to Purchase for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

This is another new Hobby Lobby purchase - ribbon. I love the challenge it presents. Plus it's great to use for presents. Ha.

Rose Tea

 

Click Here to Purchase for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

My town recently got a Hobby Lobby. We had them in Texas, so I knew to expect to get lost inside, and I did. I remembered a sizeable flower section, and wasn't disappointed. Fake flowers are getting better all the time. I like them sometimes in a still life because I can do things like this and they don't get all slumpy.

Particular Pears

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 8x6in. - oil on panel

I don't often paint in a vertical format. For some reason it's harder for me to compose this way. But these pears insisted on it.

Standing By

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

In case you don't know, Daily Paintworks (the website my husband and I created and run) has a monthly contest with cash prizes! There are only 29 entries so far this month, so there's a real chance to win. Please consider entering soon (it can be any 2-D fine art - no theme - and you don't have to be a member). The top 15 picks get a free month and a featured spot on the front page. : )

Don't Be Blue, Bells

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I've probably said this before, but whenever I am painting a shadow going into a shadow, a softer edge usually works better than a hard edge. For example, the little bowl at the bottom-left, with the bell pepper in it - where the shadow side of the bowl meets the shadow that the bowl is casting, the edge almost disappears. Same with the shadow that the top bell is casting on the plate, where it meets the shadow it's casting on the paper to the right of the plate. Did you notice before I pointed it out? But you read it as an edge, right? Our brain fills in the details even if they are fuzzy in the paint.

Seeking Love

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I went to the store and found these adorable, little, orange bell peppers. I thought they would be a cinch to paint, but they put up a fight. It took me an hour and a lot of frustration just to come up with this one. Maybe they are teenage bell peppers. That would explain a lot.

Green Drink or Coffee

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I've been looking for products at the grocery store with interesting labels. I don't usually buy this sort of thing - a fruit and veggie drink - boy was it expensive! We used to do our own juicing back in the day. My favorite was carrot & ginger. Yum!

The Last Two Yolks

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x8in. - oil on panel

I feel like with every painting I get closer to capturing the essence of things. The trick is to see them as abstract shapes, actually, to see the whole thing as interconnected abstract shapes that don't necessarily end where the objects end. Look at the left side of the egg shell - it melds right into the plate. And shadows often bleed into each other, with the edge sometimes disappearing altogether. If I see all this as a series of puzzle pieces, without my brain getting too involved, then I can see what I need to paint. It's taken 25 or so years to get this far, and I'm sure I have much still to learn!

Eggstack

 

Click Her to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

What appealed to me about this scene were the tiny warm bits contrasted with the cool bits in the stack of eggs. It took me two tries to capture it, but I think it finally works.

Fork 'Em Over

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

This is a leftover from a recent bout of tomato painting. I ended up needing to fix a tiny thing that I didn't notice for a while. Then it had to dry again. And be varnished. It's all done now and ready to ship. : )

First, Coffee

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x8in. - oil on panel

My husband needs his coffee first thing, before he can function as a human being. I know a lot of other people like that too. I love coffee, but it does not love me. So if you're a tea drinker like me, the title is "First, Tea"!

The One Egg

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I'm giving away a print! I will pick a random person from everyone signed up to get my newsletter, next Wednesday (Feb 21).  You can sign up for that here. The print is of an old painting  of a very old car. I photographed the car in St. Augustine, FL, when I was out there teaching workshops forever ago, and painted it in October of 2011. The print is on high quality, heavy-weight, matte, art paper. 6x6in. Signed on the back.

(fyi, if you sign up for my newsletter, you'll have to confirm it from your email before it's active) : )

Plethora of Eggs

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Eggs have a tendency to roll away if they're just placed on a flat surface. That makes it hard to pose them unless they're in containers. I bet you never thought of that. ; )

Secure the Perimeter

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

In case you don't know, Daily Paintworks (the website my husband and I created and run) has a monthly contest with cash prizes! There are only 35 entries so far this month, so there's a real chance to win. Please consider entering soon (it can be any 2-D fine art, and you don't have to be a member). The top 15 picks get a free month and a featured spot on the front page.

Cup Envy

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

I painted this darn cup three times before I got it right. After the first two, I walked away for a couple of days because I was so discouraged. But it was probably the break I needed to come back to it fresh. I'm really happy with this version.

And, Cut!

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

That's a wrap for the roses. I hope they enjoyed their stay at studio Marine.

Visiting Rose

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

Wherever the roses go they seem to attract attention. What will my dishes do when the roses fade? I might have to hold therapy sessions.