Tuesday, January 26, 2016

"White Object, Lemons" Still Life, Work-In-Progress, and Black-and-White Sketch!

 "White Object, Lemons"
12 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

It's been a while since I painted this little plate, let's see - can I find any examples from the past to show you? Yes!
It's hand-painted, which makes reproducing the design with my own hands so much more enjoyable. At one point I actually forgot I was painting on canvas. I felt like I was painting a plate myself! This twisting floral style is common to decorative pottery made in Jerusalem, where my mother bought it in 1979 - when she was pregnant with me! Can't say I remember much about the trip.

Here's a progression. I didn't tone the canvas for this one, instead letting the underpainting create its own tone. The color is a neutral orange I had left over on my palette - probably a mix of alizarin, cad yellow, cad red, ultramarine blue.....you know, all the primaries. As long as there's no white in the mix, it works.


...And my black and white sketch. I love love love making these. If you're going to use Arches oil paper, I recommend brushing a thin layer of Gamsol (or your OMS of choice) onto the surface before beginning. Although this does tend to make the finished product dry at a snail's pace, it helps with the absorbent/chalky feel of the surface I've heard myself some artists complain about.

"White Object, Lemons (sketch)"
8 x 11.5" oil on Arches oil paper

Thursday, January 21, 2016

A New Still Life: From Sketch to Finish

 "Burnt Out (Lemons)"
18 x 14" oil on canvas

I've been working on some larger still lives for a big show this spring, here in Eugene. Before diving into a painting that will take me several days to complete, I like to do an oil sketch....just to make sure I really want to commit.
And to warm up.
And to work out any compositional issues.
And because I love painting small, black and white studies. 

 "Burnt Out (oil sketch)"
approx. 11 x 8 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

Can you spot the compositional issue I worked out from sketch to final painting? It's subtle, but I shifted everything over to the left a bit.

Here's a progression, click to see it bigger:

Monday, January 18, 2016

Orange Light...And a video!

 "Orange Light"
9 x 8 inches, oil on Arches oil paper
$75

I've been enjoying taking these little time-lapse videos of myself while painting. I just prop my phone up, hit record, and forget about it. I'm not sure how long I painted in real time to get this 30 second video...and apparently, this will remain a mystery.

According to MacWorld: "We found that recording for a long time doesn't make for a significantly longer video. You will find that most time-lapse video recordings play back in 20 to 40 seconds, regardless of how long you recorded for."

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Dark Pomegranate

 "Dark Pomegranate"
10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas
Sold

I think this may be my last pomegranate painting of the winter....but we'll see. I've got some lemons on the studio table right now.

Friday, January 15, 2016

"Blue Light"

 "Blue Light"
12 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

A new painting, large-scale for me. Painted from life, before the flowers got too wilty! Hint: always paint the flowers first.


Also, when you're painting anything painted on anything else - the design on this vase, the lettering on this bowl, and yes, even tattoos on human skin - paint the form first. Below, you can see I painted the vase, rounded in space (minus the highlights from the spotlight), before adding the blue design. I didn't wait for the paint to dry before adding the blue, though that's sometimes helpful.

You can see a 30 second time-lapse video of the underpainting for this piece on Facebook.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Introduction to Oil Painting

 
 "Demo at OAS, January 2016"
9 x 12 inches, oil on Arches oil paper
Sold

I just wrapped up the first-ever session of my new workshop, Intro to Oil Painting. It's funny that I've been teaching for three years now, and this was my first beginner-level class. The most challenging part was keeping it simple - especially when it comes to talking color!

Luckily, the first day was all black-and-white. First, we mixed up a value scale, then we painted with it: all-white geometric objects, then red and green apples.


The second day, we mixed up a full-spectrum palette from the primaries. I like seeing my demo painting in sequence with the palette and color wheel: 


I've got plenty of workshops coming up - you can check them all out in the right-hand sidebar. Don't hesitate to sign up if you're interested - all levels of experience are welcome in all of my workshops!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

The Sarah Bowl

 "The Sarah Bowl"
9.5 x 9 inches, oil on Arches oil paper
Sold

I don't actually eat out of this bowl anymore, but as you can see, it's gotten its share of use over the years. It's as old as I am, after all! It was a baby present to my parents....36 years ago. Every time I paint it, I think about the artist who painted the letters on the bowl - and wonder which is more nerve-wracking - painting letters on pottery or painting letters onto wet paint. At least I have the advantage of being able to scrape off and redo - or leave the letters out altogether.

I have a new workshop coming up this weekend, in Eugene, at Oregon Art Supply. Intro to Oil Painting - a great way to start off your artistic year. All levels are welcome - whether you're totally new to oils or returning after a break. Ages 15 and up. It's going to be fun! Details here.