"Six Quail Eggs" It's All About the Negative Space:

  

"Six Quail Eggs"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

click to buy

Yes, I've been painting! But I've been away from the blog, and I've missed you! I do apologize, things have been up and down. "In sickness and in health," as they said when I married this blog. 

 Somehow, I managed to work on this painting for two weeks, but kept the freshness of the brushwork on the painted-over canvas- it was one of the first parts of the painting I blocked in, as you can see below, and I left it completely alone. 

The negative space in this painting is the subject. I wanted to emphasize the smallness of the quail eggs, and the little speckled dish they're in. So I used my usual array of colored papers, but also that half-painted canvas, because I live in an art studio, and there's a lot of that around. Kind of my way of self-portraitizing an otherwise normal still life.

 (As always, click the picture for a bigger view.)

Speckled Eggs and Spring

  

"Quail Eggs"

6 x 6 inches, oil on canvas

click to buy

Ships free with code: SARAH  

The Asian market strikes again! These little cuties have been sitting in my refrigerator for I-won't-even-tell-you-how-long, but hey - they don't smell yet - and I'm not planning to eat them. Quail-egg-painting procrastination is over now, and I've got another version on the easel as I type.

One thing I'm terribly excited about this week: Spring! I actually saw the first Camellia blossoms of the year yesterday. I'll be out and about with my scissors soon.....

 

Another Self Portrait and Another Road Trip!

 "Self Portrait, February 2014"

14 x 11 inches, oil on canvas

$450

click to buy

Last week, once Snow-maggeddon finally melted (and the power came back on and my car was towed out of a ditch), Carol and I hit the rainy road to Portland for a brunch date with a group of awesome artist-bloggers. There were a lot of familiar faces in attendance, and one new to me, but a blogger I've been following for years, Don Gray. What a pleasure to meet someone in person and feel like you already know them so well!

Because you can never have too much of a good thing: artist-friends, delicious brunch food, cute dogs, painterly commiseration, new-work-sharing...

Below, clockwise from top: Annie Salness, Carol Marine, Ruth Armitage, and Randall David Tipton; Lulu the cutest damn dog in Oregon; Sarah Peroutka; Don Gray and Randall; Jo Reimer, Don, and his wife Brenda. Present, but not pictured: Gretha Lindwood. Huge thanks to Ruth for hosting us at her stunning home.

As far as this self portrait is concerned, (and I should say something about it, huh?), I painted it while cooped up in the snow (but before the power went out).  I used a Zorn palette, and really wasn't planning on even finishing it, but ended up liking it. The nose is a bit short, the chin maybe a bit too big, but you'll have that. Until you come to Eugene and meet me, you can't really argue!

A post for a snowy Thursday

 "One Dozen Brown Eggs"

10 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$350

Available through The Gallery at the Watershed

Here's the painting from my always-fun live session at the gallery last Saturday. If you've been reading awhile, you might recognize this plate as the green twin of my subject from the previous weekend. If so, bonus points for you!

Unlike that one, this green-plate painting was neither finished nor sold on-location. It took me a little bit longer, back home in my studio, to complete it - mostly without the help of the photo I took. Memory really is better than photos for color. Don't you agree?

 

If you're interested in watching me paint, I'll be at the gallery this Saturday for the final day of my solo show, from 12-4. Feel free to join - pull up a chair, watch as long as you like, and ask me anything!

If you prefer a fancier soiree, tomorrow is First Friday, once again (because it's February, for all you doubters!) and I will be out and about, in a dress, no less! Brave the snow. Let's meet.

 

Road Trip!

 "All Kinds of Orange"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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I have a pretty strict policy around here: Say Yes As Often As Possible. Which is how I came to be driving North on I-5 this past Monday evening with my trunk full of painting gear, and trusty sidekick Amy in the passenger seat. Destination: The Corvallis Art Guild's monthly meeting.

I'm always honored to be asked to do anything - especially paint in front of people and talk about my work! The Corvallis Art Guild turned out to be a great group of artists who peppered me with delightfully technical questions about paint, mediums, etc, while I did my demo. Speaking of technical - the whole thing was projected onto a huge screen, with some help from the chairman of the group (and a friend of mine), Joseph Pfeiffer-Herbert. Everyone had a great view, and Joseph's arm only got a little tired.

Another invitation I gratefully accepted that evening came from Herbert and Rogena Berman, who welcomed Amy and I into their Corvallis home. They had seen my show at The Gallery at the Watershed and liked it so much that they invited us to see Herbert's wonderful paintings and studio. It was really a treat.

What a great night!

All Questions, No Answers

 

"Two Orchids, Out of Bloom (sketch)"

 8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$200

click to buy

As promised yesterday, this piece segues me nicely into a topic I worry about periodically - how to do preparatory sketches for a piece without burning myself out on a setup before I even get to the large canvas?

Well, I don't have an answer, but one thing seems clear: even if I enjoy and feel really excited about the sketch, if I'm still dreading starting the larger version, it really shouldn't happen. 

In this case, I have a totally different composition in mind from the same setup - vertical, so I can incorporate all the lovely green leaves of the orchids, and plenty of the negative/shadow space that I love. Sounds good, right? So why has the half-begun canvas been sitting on my easel for days? I keep telling myself that my dread of the large canvas is just some kind of stage fright, and not an issue with the painting itself. 

But I'm worried. I'm intrigued, as an artist, a mom, and a human, by the things that kids make. How fascinated they can be by jumbled strings of random beads, such as this one that my daughter made at preschool awhile back. But is it good in a painting? Does it work automatically because it interests me, and I'm the artist here, after all? I didn't set out to say anything with this piece, besides 'These are beautiful objects from my life that I love looking at together.' But as much as I try to deny it, meaning keeps sneaking in. I've discussed it before: my dread of artist statements: my dread of making any statement at all, beyond 'It's beautiful,' but a setup like this appeals to me more and more on a personal, narrative level. Either I'm getting old, or growing as an artist. You heard it here first!

Sketch to Finish

"Curved Spine"

14 x 11 inches, oil on canvas

$450

click to buy

Here's what I did with that little sketch I posted a week ago. You'd think there wouldn't be too much to worry about, detail-wise when painting a back, but the subtleties are engrossing. And I had so much time to focus on her lovely translucent ears since I had no face to obsess over!

Here's how the painting came together over three hours. Having a preparatory sketch under my belt made the final piece flow SO much more smoothly. I'm a serious advocate of doing as much preparation for a painting as you can...without getting totally bored of your subject. More on that tomorrow!

A Plate, A Love Story

"Amy's Plate"

10 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

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  Sometimes painting still life is all about serendipity. I haunt thrift stores, gratefully accept donations and loans of lovely little things from friends, and frequently paint my food - but chance is a powerful force in my work, and small romances with objects often bear fruit.

I'd been flirting with this plate - which belongs to my gallerist, and is usually a vessel for opening-night treats - for a while, but found myself awake at 5 am and thinking about it yet again this past Saturday morning. With the addition of a few things from my collection - and some eggs stolen from her family's breakfast - my vision congealed.

 Never discount the possibilities inherent in just showing up prepared to paint. The universe will always supply what we need, as artists, when our eyes are open.

In progress....the block-in

Go Ahead, Indulge...

 

"Have One"

 8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$350

click to buy

The Valentine's day paintings march on! I admit I'm not in possession of a huge sweet-tooth. It's harder for me to sit in front of a still life of something salty and delicious and not nibble. Some artists paint sushi, sardines, even PB&J - brilliantly - but not me. I'd never get past the block-in. I'd be chowing down!

These cherry cordials are actually disgusting. I had to bite into two of them to get the goo to ooze out just right. These are the sacrifices I make for my art.

in progress, not nibbling.

Getting Hungry

 "Baba To Be"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Click to buy

I've been painting chocolates all morning, so I'm extra happy to bring you a healthier piece during my blogging lunch-break!

Baba Ganoush is one of the best ways to eat eggplant, though, if I'm cooking, I'll always go Parmesan! I did eat a few of these in a stir fry, but the rest were thrown away (in a sad, sad, moldy state after their long stint in my studio). 

I love Middle Eastern food so much, but I live in a part of the world that is sadly lacking in good places in which to eat it. The best Hummus in this town is made in my own kitchen! Believe it or not, out here in the Willamette valley the best restaurants tend to be Thai. Moving to Oregon turned me into something of a Thai-food-lover.

Mmm....time to eat!

Sweets For the Sweet

 "Sweetness"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$350

click to buy

 I've been spending my Saturdays happily painting on-location at The Gallery at the Watershed this month, and here is my painting from last weekend. You may suspect what holiday I'm anticipating...

My solo show will be up for two more weeks, and that means two more Saturdays to drop in and hang out with Amy and I. We have a good time.

In other excellent weekend happenings, I was invited to contribute a post about my favorite paintings of 2013 to my friend Taryn's blog The Art Room. She's also linked to my favorite paintings from 2012. Time flies when you're painting up a storm.

Sketching It Out, Part 2

"Curved Spine"

approx. 8.5 x 5.5 inches, oil on paper
Sold

Here's my second sketch, the "rear-view" of the first one, and my choice for a follow-up, more in-depth painting next Tuesday night. Stay tuned for that! And feel free to let me know which you'd have chosen.

Sketching It Out

 

 "Little Lindsey"

approx. 8.5 x 5.5 inches, oil on paper

$1 auction!

click to bid

The pose at figure painting this week was so great that I just couldn't choose an angle, so I sketched it out. Two small studies later, I've decided which to focus on next week. Tomorrow I'll post number 2, and we'll see if you agree with my decision! In the meantime, they'll both be up for auction on Daily Paintworks, starting at one dollar.

A Treasure Trove

 

"Three Baby Eggplants"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

I was wandering around my local Asian market last week - where I usually stick to the relatively recognizable soy sauce, noodles, and tofu - when I had a revelation: the produce aisle! It was a treasure trove, the perfect remedy for my midwinter apple-and-orange-painting malaise. 

These little beauties were labeled "Indian Eggplants," and were as delicious in stir-fry as they are to my eye. It's cold enough in my studio that some of them are still hanging around, posing. It's cold enough in my studio that my toes are looking a bit purple, too.

Brr!

A Sculpture in Paint?

 "Monumental"

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

After I got this one home and spent some time looking at it, I realized what it reminded me of: a marble monument - the kind where there's lots of amazing flesh and drapery depicted in stone. I'm always so blown away by sculpture (mostly because I absolutely cannot do it), and I think this is the first time one of my paintings has put me in mind of one.

  The lower body started off a bit too small in my initial block-in, and kind of grew as I painted, ending up with a nice solid feeling. I kept the legs loose and brushy in an attempt to have her face as the focal point. I feel like it worked - even though every time I glance over at this painting on the studio wall I feel like I'm going catch a knee to the eye!

A Star Turn

 "Two Oranges"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

NFS

I spent a delightful day at the gallery yesterday, doing what I love to do most. 

...And by that, I don't mean being a film star. (Though I can't say I mind!)

Here's a clip.

You can see three more snippets of film on the gallery's Facebook page. 

Interested in being my co-star? Drop in this Saturday and chat - on or off camera!

I Run the Numbers

 "The Brown Dress"

16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

Here it is completed: my first painting of the year. It always feels so strange to create a new desktop folder of paintings for a new year, and file away the first one in that vast empty space. I know it won't be lonely for long - it's time to start filling up that folder!

By my (most-likely faulty) calculations, I posted 81 still life paintings last year, 50-ish figure paintings or portraits, 15 plein air pieces, 2 self-portraits, and 3 portrait commissions. That's fewer still lives than in 2012, but twice as many figure paintings.

Here's an in-progress shot of my studio, my painting, and my friend Farley's painting on the left. See how much more paint he has down than I do? I struggled around with the drawing on this one for hours, but her luscious flesh tones flowed relatively easily.

A Big Fat Happy New Year and Some Paintings Too!

Woah, it's 2014! I spent the last few weeks of 2013 putting finishing touches on my solo show, and then jetting off to sunny Southern California for Christmas with family. 

I did, of course, manage to hastily apply some paint here and there.

These portrait sketches were done at some point during the craziness. They are both about 8x6", oil on Arches oil paper.

 

Just after the New Year, I was thrilled to wake up to this lovely article about the show, and The Gallery at the Watershed.

And I began the year on an excellent note, painting a model in my studio with good art friends. Here's a detail shot of the nearly-finished piece.

 Now I'm off to the gallery for some First Friday Artwalk fun! I'd also like to announce that I'll be gallery-sitting every Saturday this month, so if you'd like to see my show, and maybe test out how much I really resemble that self-portrait of mine, stop by!

Keeping You In the Dark

 "Flicker"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Available, click to buy

Last one from my recent foray into the darkness. 

Although I'm in denial, I think I heard somewhere that there are only 10 shopping days left until Christmas. Fear not! You can still order my 2014 calendar, get it on time, and save 50% with the code 50OFFPRODUCT. 

Now, if anybody needs me, I'll be hanging my show. 

☺

Star Light

 

 "Star Light"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Available, click to buy

The glowing candle shining through this glass jar was the spark that drew me into this composition, but as I worked my way through the painting, the golden light-shape on the little orange rapidly became the "star." I love the loose hazy quality of low-light atmospherics, and the challenge of reigning myself in as I capture them.

Not getting too detailed, looking closely but not so closely that I strangle the gloomy potential of a scene like this is a challenge and a joy.