Bouquet with Lemons

8 x 10"
oil on panel
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This one was challenging to set up. I think I spent a third of the total time I worked on this painting just setting up the still life and sketching it out in different ways. I love the tall glass vase but it is really hard to "fit" it in compositions because it is so tall and skinny.

Easter Bouquet

8 x 10"
oil on panel
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This is not really an Easter Bouquet - I got it from Jesse for our third anniversary, on the 9th. I painted it on Easter Sunday, though, so there you go.

Tulip Dancer

5 x 7"
oil on canvas on panel
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I'm calling this one "Tulip Dancer" because of the graceful curve of the flower's stem.

Tulip Medley

5 x 7"
oil on canvas on panel
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One thing I love about painting my collection of colored glass vases are the highlights within the shadows - they are just as bright, if not brighter, than the highlights on the vases themselves.

Fraternal Teapots

8 x 8"
oil on panel
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I thought of calling this one "Fraternal Twins," but I didn't want to alarm anyone. We are NOT having twins - although we thought we might be at first because there's a strong family history of them on my mother's side.

Gold Mirror, Spring Tulips

6 x 6"
oil on canvas on panel
$60
Click to purchase

I wanted to show some examples of how great these small paintings can look framed and hung up - especially in smaller rooms. These are all in my house - from left to right: front entryway, half bath, full bath, office. I am always interested to see pictures of how others are displaying my paintings in their homes - (hint, hint!) Click on the image to see it bigger:

Vanity

5 x 7"
oil on canvas on panel
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This is the first time I've used this gold mirror in a still life. It seemed like it would be a difficult thing to paint, but it turned out to be the most enjoyable part. The darkish section in the bottom left of the reflection is my knees!

Daffodills and Roses

8 x 10"
oil on canvas on panel
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I thought I'd put all the elements I painted this week together onto a slightly larger canvas.

Orange Roses with Teapot

5 x 7"
oil on linen on panel
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I'm getting used to my new studio, though I'm not 100% sure I like the setup yet. It feels like a complicated math problem trying to figure out how to position myself, my palette table, and my still life - all without wasting space, and using natural light from windows to light everything just so. Of course, I don't have to use natural light for these still lives, but I prefer it (no fooling with lamps), and since I haven't put up curtains or shades in that room yet, the sun's coming in, whether I like it or not.

Daffodill in Green

6 x 6"
oil on panel
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Yellow has to be the most difficult color to paint. I love yellow - don't get me wrong - even though I can't wear it without looking seriously ill. You just have to be really careful to keep it separate from the other colors on your painting, and to keep your brushes clean while you're working with it - not always my strong suit. All that being said, it's a challenge I enjoy.

Daffodills in Blue

5 x 7"
oil on panel
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It's been a long time! Since my last post, we've renovated and moved into our new house, and things are finally getting back to normal. Well, as normal as can be with a baby on the way. I'm 22 weeks along now (more than halfway there), and feeling great. It's really nice not to be sickened by the smell of absolutely everything anymore - especially the smell of oil paint!

Citrus Bowl

6 x 6"
oil on canvas on panel
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I've had money on the brain lately, what with buying a home and getting ready for tax time. I added up all the numbers, and was pretty surprised to see how much money I spent on art supplies in 2008 - somewhere in the realm of $1500, in fact! Many people have told me over the past year that my prices are too low, and in what I consider a mild response to that, I've raised the price of my 2009 paintings on this blog to $60 a piece - a $10 increase. Ebay auctions will still begin at $49, and 2008 paintings will remain at their original prices, available through this blog, and through my Etsy store.

Four Oranges

6 x 6"
oil on canvas on panel
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I painted these oranges very slowly and carefully, with a small brush. By contrast, I painted the brass vase loosely, with a larger brush. I loved putting the splashes of orange in the reflective surface of the vase.

Red, White, and Gold

6 x 8"
oil on canvas on panel
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On bright, sunny days it's not only easier to take better quality photos of paintings, it's easier to create paintings full of vibrant color.

Tulips and White Rose

6 x 6"
oil on canvas on panel
$60
$5 s/h

It's been quite a while since I've had anything to post - but it hasn't been for lack of trying! Life has thrown several wonderful distractions in my path in the last month, and to say the least, my focus has been elsewhere. Jesse and I found out that we are expecting our first baby in August - and we are also in the process of buying (and renovating) our first house! Many thanks to those of you who have emailed to ask if everything is OK - everything is perfectly fine - but my posts may be a bit sporadic in the coming weeks as I continue to deal with all the tiredness and other fabulous physical symptoms of early pregnancy. I'm really looking forward to moving into my new, much larger studio, and doing lots of painting in the coming year.

Floral Blues and Whites

5 x 7"
oil on panel
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I struggled with this a little, but I like some things about the way it turned out. The vase and pitcher have a solid presence on the panel, and there's some lusciously thick paint in spots - particularly the bottom right hand corner - that I like looking at.

New Video: November Paintings

A quick compilation of all the paintings I did last month. Those of you on the email list may need to click this link to view the video. Enjoy!

White Lilies and Irises

5 x 7"
oil on linen on panel
$50
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The splash of bright yellow on the petals of these Irises is so arresting to me. One of my earliest art teachers once had me draw an Iris just like these from her garden. I thought it was impossibly hard - but back then I mainly used colored pencil - no wonder I thought it was hard! (I still can't do anything with colored pencil twenty years later.)

Speaking of the past, here's a painting I did back in September (30 paintings ago) that I was reminded of while painting today. It's still available - here's a link to the original post, and purchase info.

Red Teapot, Blue Pitcher

6 x 6"
oil on panel
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Is anyone else thinking, "Superman?"

Teal Vase with Ornaments

6 x 8"
oil on canvas on panel
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It's been about a week and a half since I last painted, so I'm surprised that I like the way this turned out. It wasn't as much fun as it normally is, though - because instead of feeling like I was falling back into every day's familiar, comforting routine, I had to remember how to do it all over again. I was mixing my basic colors before starting to paint, and I thought, "Why does this feel wierd?" Then I realized that it was because I was standing up, when I am usually sitting down at that point. As David Darrow always says, in times of intimidation, you simply have to let yourself not be afraid to fail.