Green Stack

5 x 7"
oil on panel
this is a sold commission piece

Jewel Tones no. 2

8 x 10"
oil on panel
This is a sold commission piece

Another fun ornament painting, for a collector who wants to make a grouping of them on her wall. This one even includes several mini self portraits - my reflections in the ornaments!

Crescent Lake

6 x 6"
oil on panel
Sold

I miss summer already! We weren't exactly warm on this vacation, as I recall - even though it was August, Crescent Lake is at 5,000 feet elevation, so the campfire was very welcome. I can't wait to go back next year.

Vanagon on High Street

6 x 8"
oil on canvas on panel
$50
$5 s/h

Eugene, Oregon has to be the world capital of VW buses. I enjoyed painting this crisp fall scene - especially the leaves in the street.

Cut Pomegranate

6 x 6"
oil on panel
Sold

The background of this painting appears to be grey, but it's really a blend of reds, greens, and blues. I do actually have a tube of grey paint, but I mainly use it to tone down other colors, and not as a color in itself. Most of the greys in my paintings are mixed from complementary colors. In art school, professors often used the term "muddy" to describe paintings that had gotten beyond the student's control color-wise, with complements blending into each other on the canvas and giving everything a greyed-down feel. Frequent washing of brushes during painting, and using separate brushes for separate colors while painting were some suggestions for avoiding mud. However, there is a school of thought in painting that using the same brush for the entire piece helps achieve better color harmony - since a little of each color is present in all the rest. The moral of the story really is that there's no wrong way to paint - as long as you come out with a result that you like.

Rosy Outlook

5 x 7"
oil on panel
Sold

I like to listen to NPR podcasts while I paint, and most of the news is grim these days. Even the weather is grim. But there are good things to look forward to, and lots to be grateful for, and I try not to forget it.

Persimmon with Green Ornaments

5 x 7"

oil on panel

Sold

I think I'm entering pre-holiday freakout mode, in which I run around like a chicken with its head cut off, shedding scratched-over to-do lists as I go. And I'm not even hosting this year...

Christmas Persimmon

6 x 6"
oil on panel
Sold

Persimmons

5 x 7"
oil on canvas on panel
Sold

Just when I thought the yard was going to call it quits for the season, we get persimmons. I've never eaten one of these, and something about the rock-solid feeling of these particular ones is telling me that I'm not about to start. They're gorgeous, though. I kind of wish they were wax fruit so I could keep them around all winter.

Christmas Pomegranate

6 x 6"
oil on panel
Sold

It's been a good week. I've been getting a lot of positive feedback lately - thank you all (you know who you are) - and also I got an art supply shipment this morning, which always makes me feel like, um, well... a kid on christmas!

Pomegranate

6 x8"
oil on canvas on panel
Sold

This pomegranate was given to me by a new local collector, who saw it and thought of my work. I enjoyed painting it - the colors are just gorgeous. Thanks again, Lana!

Windowsill

8 x 8"
oil on panel
Sold

I was struggling to set up a still life this morning, when my eyes came to rest on this scene. After reflecting on the simple beauty of the sunlight streaming through the colored glass for a minute or so, I decided to scrap my more complicated setup and just paint what was in front of me.

Red Teapot and Pitcher

8 x 10"
oil on panel
Sold

This one is a little larger than usual - and certainly a departure from yesterday's!

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I recently adjusted the painting below, from back in August. I liked it before, but it looked like the lemon was floating just above the dish instead of sitting in it. See the previous version here.

5 x 7"
oil on panel

Sold

Pocket Ornaments no. 2

3 x 3"
oil on canvas
Sold

I've been getting reports back from happy customers about my Christmas cards from Cafe Press. The printing is said to be very good quality. If you're interested in checking them out, here's the link!

Ornamental

5 x 7"
oil on canvas on panel
Sold

Jesse suggested this title. I took it literally, although I think he meant orna - mental (as in, I'm a mental case for painting so many ornaments.) Oh well. ;)

Bottles and Baubles

5 x 7"
oil on panel
Sold

Because neither of the art stores in town carry Ampersand Gessobord, I decided to buy some Ampersand Claybord and experiment today. It's pretty difficult to paint on. In fact, I don't recommend it. Once this is dry and varnished, it will be as glossy and beautiful as an oil painting on any other surface, but this one was a bloody fight coming through. Guess I will click on over to one of my favorite online art supply retailers now....

Cool Tones

8 x 8"
oil on panel
Sold

By cool, of course I mean the cool end of the color spectrum. But I think this painting came out looking pretty cool, too - in the other sense of the word.

I had the opportunity today to lay out a whole bunch of my paintings from the past few months, and I really noticed how I've been evolving - and improving. This blog is over 8 months old - this is painting #166. I've come a long way, and I look forward to having a long way to go.

Honey

4 x 4"
oil on panel
Sold

Sugar Bowl

5 x 7"

oil on linen on panel
$50
click here to purchase