Donut in progress

"Donut in Progress"

Day 29 of 30/30

6"x6" oil on gallery wrap canvas

Do not adjust your viewing device...this is not a tree!  I had another tree painting ready to post for today but it is really not something that needs to see the light of day.  Instead, I painted this donut this morning in class and am rather delighted with how it is going.  I am not pleased with how I painted the bite (that Anne forced us to take out of the donut) and I will work on that area next week at  my final class.   

I am enjoying doing these cropped still-life images.  I will (hopefully) have this donut, a slice of chocolate cake and a candy bar with the wrapper torn off as completed pieces to show you next week.  

Tomorrow is my last day for this 30/30 tree challenge.  I highly recommend the challenge for the dedication that one must put forth.  Getting better at this art thing requires painting miles and miles of canvas and this past month has given me a few more miles under my belt.  Join me tomorrow for my final challenge piece.

Set Apart

Set Apart

8"x10" oil on wood panel

$295.00 

There is nothing like doing a still-life painting when you have to dust off your paint brushes after taking a little painting hiatus.

It is the new year and I have so many ideas turning in my head.  I have been looking at a lot of photo references and have several projects in mind, so please stay tuned!

Summertime Arrangement

Summertime Arrangement

24"x24" Oil on Canvas

$695.00 framed

     This past Wednesday I attended a one-day still-life workshop.  We spent the morning doing quick value studies from a multitude of set ups ranging from a pair of scissors hung on a wall to red plastic chillies.  For the afternoon session I decided to paint some luscious pink hydrangeas brought in by one of the other workshop attendees.  

     Granted these flowers may not resemble pink hydrangeas but I was pleased that I was successful in using a variety of brushstrokes and palette knife swipes to render the suggestion of flowers.

The Bag

The Bag

6"x8" Oil on Raymar Panel

$125.00 framed

     In my attempt to teach my eyes to "see", I have been trying to focus a little more on still life setups. 

     This is a bag from Tiffany's from my trip to New York City last November with my daughter Kim.  She bought a ring for herself and I kept the bag as a prop! 

Bon Appetit

    

Bon Appetit

24"x24" Oil on Canvas

     For the past three years, I have attended weekly art classes with Curt Butler and this most recent five-week session was "photo-free".  Usually we work on landscapes, etc. from our own photos but our challenge was to work solely from life, in this case, still-life.  Curt tried to introduce us to Cubism and Abstract art and this is my effort in that direction.

     I must say I really enjoyed the process causing me to experiment more with drips, to be more ambiguous with the shapes and to stretch my sense of adventure playing with the oil paints.  Working larger is so freeing and I have already started another piece, a 24"x30", here at home and am really having fun with it.  Stay tuned!