Tomato Progress ...

I've been a little remiss at posting . . . my goal is to post 2-3 times a week, but I don't always do it. Ugh. I thought you might like to see how this painting is shaping up. I'm still not done, but it's close. Lots and lots of layers.

Have a delightful day and enjoy the groovy music!

Big Tomatoes

"Big Tomatoes" - work-in-progress
24" x 24"
watercolor on clayboard

We're getting there! Hope to have this one finished up very soon. Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping by.

Making Some Progress

"New Braintree Sap" - work-in-progress
16" x 12"
watercolor on clayboard

Well we received some more snow here in the Northeast yesterday. Hard to imagine that spring is on its way. Good grief! But a snowday makes for a good painting day. Here are my works-in-progress.

work-in-progress
14" x 11"
watercolor on clayboard

"Big Tomatoes" - work-in-progress
24" x 24"
watercolor on clayboard

Have a great day!

New Ones

work-in-progress
24" x 24"
watercolor on clayboard

I was absent from the blog last week, but I was busy in the studio. In the midst of finishing up old paintings I began some new ones.

The first is a 24" x 24" painting of tomatoes. My first version of this composition was on some kind of illustration board many years ago and although I was close to finishing it, I just didn't like the way the board was taking the watercolor. So I scrapped it. Then I painted a smaller version on watercolor paper -- I think around 10" x 10" -- of the same colander with tomatoes, a few years later. However I knew I always wanted to do this painting bigger than life. So I decided to jump in last week on the clayboard. I'm looking forward to sharing my progress with you ... and I can't wait to see what it's like all done!

Last week I also decided to turn my sap bucket sketch into a larger painting on clayboard. I so love painting on this surface!

New Braintree Sap - wip
16" x 12"
watercolor on clayboard

Lastly, I drew out three white pitchers.  I'm much further along on this one, but you'll just have to wait to see . . .

work-in-progress
11" x 14"
watercolor on aquabord

Happy Monday -- have a great start to your week!

Two Tomatoes

"Two Tomatoes" - 11" x 14" - watercolor on aquabord

Click here to purchase:  $225

I finally finished this one.  Why it took me so long, I don't know.  Sometimes paintings come together fairly quickly, while others take a while.  It can be pretty unpredictable.  Anyway, this painting is up for sale at Daily Paintworks - it comes framed and ready to hang.  

I've painted this subject/composition before, only smaller and on paper.  I think it would look pretty cool in the right kitchen. 

This painting comes framed in this black, wood frame and is ready to hang.

Inching Along

work-in-progress - 11" x 14" - watercolor on aquabord

As you can see . . . I really am just inching along.  Have lots going on at home and with some other commitments right now so I'm doing my best to keep painting, although when I'm in these final stages, the progress is pretty slow and there's not much to see.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by. 

Tomatoes on Aquabord

watercolor on aquabord - 11" x 14"

I'm moving slowly on all my paintings because I have so many of them going . . . including a few valentine surprises.  Here's the latest on "Vine-Ripened Revisted."  Have a great day!  :)

A Few Things

watercolor on aquabord - 11" x 14" - wip

The blueberries are in a holding pattern right now.  I've been working on a couple other paintings . . . 3 small ones and this medium sized one.  A few of my students want to paint on aquabord, so we're experimenting with an old composition of mine, but a bit larger and on the clayboard.  More to come in the following days . . .

Have a lovely day!

So Proud

"all together now . . ."  

Well, tonight was the last night of my watercolor workshop.  I am sooo proud of my "On the Vine" students and happy to share their paintings with you.  Look at how well they turned out.  While they are all the same subject, each one has its own style and personality.  And pretty much these are all from first time painters!  I'm so proud of "my ladies'" patience and commitment.  I mean, look at the depth on some of these tomatoes!  :)  What a great class -- thank you so much Donna, Jacqui, Joanne and June.  

Donna

Jacqui

Joanne

June

Tomato Class

Here are a couple more progress shots of the work my students are doing in my "On The Vine" workshop. Because of vacations and such, we've decided to extend the class one more week, so I'll post the finished images next week. There's one more student, but she took hers home before I had a chance to photograph it.  Aren't these looking great!?

And here's what I've begun . . . 

Late Post

I forgot to post the progress my students from my "On The Vine" workshop, made last week. So here are 3 -- at various stages. All my students have taken their paintings home to work on them, and unfortunately I only took photos of three of the paintings -- I missed the fourth!  Sorry! I'm really excited to see what they come back with next Monday . . . they are all doing terrific work and I think are having a good time. I'll be sure to post some shots after that class.

As for my work . . . I'm working on a large commission, but have started a small watercolor and will post my progress in the next few days.  In the meantime -- Happy Painting!  :)

Vine Ripened

"Vine Ripened"
5.75" x 7.75"
watercolor on paper

Click here to bid.

I thought you might like to see these progress shots again.  I had hoped to finish all three paintings last week, but only got through two.  The strawberry is killing me!  :)  So I planned out my week . . . beginning three new paintings this morning, two of which I've made a lot of progress on already.  So I'm off to a good start -- hoping to have a productive week.  Thanks for stopping by.  :)

Goals for the Week

I meant to post this much earlier today, but things just got in the way.  My goal this week is to try and finish 3 small paintings this week -- the strawberry one that's almost done . . . this new tomato one (measures about 4.5" x 6") . . . and another one with some more berries and cherries.  We'll see how I do.  I'd like to squeeze in some more time on my Nantucket basket too -- oh boy.  

In other news . . . I had a great first class tonight for my "On The Vine" workshop.  Unfortunately one of my students wasn't able to join us due to an emergency -- hopefully though, everything worked out and all is well now.  She and her family are lovely people.  

Thanks for dropping by . . . 

The Daily Paintworks Challenge

"On The Vine"
6" x  4.5"
click here to bid

This week's Daily Paintworks Challenge is one of mine.  I hope you'll all give it a whirl!  (And many thanks to Carol Marine for the DPW site and her encouragement.)

The idea: This week’s challenge is to create a dynamic composition - really think outside the box - and pay particular attention to your design. I’ve listed a few of my favorite “rules to a good composition” that I use to help guide my students (and me!) to dynamic arrangements of space that will draw people into the painting. Feel free to use some of them, all of them, none of them . . . whatever helps you:

- create depth through foreground, midground and background & overlap shapes
- use diagonals (oh so much more interesting than horizontals!)
- use "run-off" (have objects run off the page on all four sides – but be sure to avoid having them just "touch" the edges)
- employ the rule of thirds (divide your paper into thirds rather than halves – horizon lines and focal points should all fall on these lines - stay away from centering - create INFORMAL BALANCE
- create “shards” of negative space (maintain interest through contrasting sizes and shapes of negative shapes)
- keep 80-90 percent of your space positive (enlarge your image to fit your space, no one wants to look at a page of empty space)
- use contrast (create apparent differences in size, shape and value)
- stagger objects (avoid lining objects up)

Have fun designing!

The Latch

"The Latch"
4.5" x 6.75"
watercolor on paper

(what this painting could look like framed)

Click here to bid.

I finally feel like I'm catching my breath this year . . . isn't summer wonderful for that!?  :)  So I've "virtually framed" a couple pieces and actually painted "The Latch" this morning before breakfast.  The image is from a door at the Hardwick Winery in Hardwick, Massachusetts. I'm still moving along on some of my other paintings . . . nantucket basket included.  Here are a couple more examples of what my recent paintings could look like framed.  Enjoy your day!

"On The Vine"
6" x 4.5"
(what this painting COULD look like when framed)
click here to bid on just the painting

"Fun Size"
5" x 5"
(what this painting COULD look like when framed)
click here to bid on just the painting

"On The Vine" and July Workshop

"On The Vine"
6.5" x 4"

Click here to bid

This painting is the subject of my next 5-week workshop beginning July 1st here at my studio. You can read about it above, by clicking on "workshops." I hope you can join us! 

Now back to my other paintings.  Happy painting!

Fiddling and Winners!

"One the Vine" (wip)
4.5" x 6"

I fiddled with this little one over the weekend and will finish it up today. Then it's back to my nantucket basket!  

In other news . . . I finally decided on a name for my bowl painting (below). I want to thank everyone who wrote in with their suggestions, both here and on my Facebook. I really appreciate your input not to mention your taking the time to respond. I decided on Shelley Warburton Siegel's "Morning Blues" -- I think it brings a story to the painting. I love the word play but also the lingering question. So thank you so much Shelley, for your clever title!  I'll be sending her a little prize in the mail. In addition, I've put all your names in a hat and picked another winner who will also be getting a little something . . . and that person is Crystal Cook! Crystal posted a lovely and thoughtful suggestion here on my blog. So thanks again and keep your thinking caps on, because I'm sure I'll be back for more help. 

"Morning Blues"
12" x 16"

Have a great day and thank you for stopping in.

Old Painting Revisited

"Tomatoes"
10" x 10"

(what this painting could look like framed)

First off -- thank you to all who sent me well-wishes while the power was out.  :)  So much like living like a pioneer.  Good grief!  It feels so good to be clean -- like really clean -- again.  

I have been somewhat productive -- working on a few commissions while finishing this little ditty.  Quite a few months back I began a large 24" x 24" painting (I called it "Big Tomatoes") and had posted a couple "in the process" pics and blogged about my progress.  Well I hit a wall with it.  I just felt like I got too opaque and wasn't quite sure how to proceed.  And the illustration board I was working on was frustrating me.  So the painting is still sitting in my studio somewhere -- I'll probably go back to it sometime, but for now I'm uninspired.  That being said, I was never uninspired with the subject.  Always game to "give it another shot" I tried it again, smaller, at 10" x 10" to see if I could improve any.  I think I made some definite strides in the right direction.  Although there always seems to be steps that I wish I could go back and "undo," overall I'm pleased.  And then when you put that "virtual frame" on it -- well, who can go wrong?  It's such a fun final touch.  :)  

Have a great week . . . I hope to be posting a few more times this week -- have a lot of irons in the fire.