Onward with the Auctions!

"Pretty in Pink"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$1 Auction

Sold

An oldie-but-goodie from what I kinda think of as my "reflective glass surface" period. I guess it was spring 2012? I was really into placing my still life setups on these large pieces of glass. Before and since, I've had other obsessions periods: colored bottles, skulls, colored papers....Chinese lanterns....

You can check out all of this week's $1 Auctions here!

One Dollar Auction Week!

 "A Sunny Mix" 

6 x 6 inches, oil on canvas
Sold

Well, I've done it before, and I'll do it again. One dollar Auction Week! (Ooh, click that "before" link for a breath of autumn air. I felt a pleasant Fall chill looking back at those pieces. Must be some kind of mutant synesthesia.

Here's yesterday's offering, an old favorite that needs a new home. I've always really loved this painting - I think it was the first time I painted blueberries?!

 "Blueberries and Water"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

This oil sketch kicked off the week, for those of you who weren't paying attention on Saturday. (I, too, like to ignore my inbox for days at a time, and always feel guilty about it). Having a father who is a musician, I feel this would be the perfect Father's Day gift, but perhaps the musician in your life is a son or a sister?

"The Little Violin"

9 x 5 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

Sold

The Little Violin: A $1 Auction

 "The Little Violin"

5 x 9 inches, oil on Arches oil paper
Sold

Mirror, Mirror

 "Reflection"

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

I worked on this painting from a live model for two three-hour sessions, and then beat my head against the wall tweaked it for another whole day in the studio with a photo before calling it finished.  I do not like working back into dry paintings - which I had to do on this one, since the model sessions were a week apart. I also do not like working from photos/memory, which I had to do in order to finish the head. Oh well. I was willing to suffer these discomforts because I liked what I was seeing emerge. If it weren't for those stripes, and the mirrored reflection I would have thrown up my hands and wiped it.

Becoming too attached to one lovely passage of a painting-in-progress can lead to over-preciousness, anxiety, and continued commitment to works that should be given up as lost causes. I hope to present this as an example of an attachment to several small details that made me persevere when otherwise I might have thrown in the towel prematurely.

And, for better or worse, this painting is finished now. Here's a progression: the first two images from the initial model session, and the second two from the following week. 

Figurepalooza!

"Upright (sketch)"

10 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$75

Click to buy

 Spoiler alert: it's going to be a figure-friendly week here on Sedwick Studio. These two are Zornies: above, a 50 minute sketch, and below, my start on a 14x11" larger version.  I love this pose: it's simple, yet infinitely expressive.  

Work-in-progress, approx. 90 minutes

14x11 inches, oil on canvas

Painting, Out and About

  "Three Bottles (sketch)" 

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

Woah, this post is a throwback. I did just resist the urge to #hashtag that, by the way. Being behind on posting is not a bad thing, really -  more work than time to blog is a problem I'm never unhappy to have!

 Two weeks ago, I was whiling away a lovely Saturday, painting at the Gallery at the Watershed, and chatting with some lovely people. I even got drawn, myself, by a young artist who brought a sketchbook to my demo. Loved that! 

 

The above is my sketch from the day, which I actually painted after the larger piece below. There's nothing like being warmed up! (I seem to say that a lot these days.) 

 

"Three Bottles, at the Gallery"

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

I Get A Cooking Lesson

 "Three Turnips"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Available on Etsy

I bought these out of boredom. Boredom with Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and yes, even Cauliflower. Produce section fatigue. I took a chance on these Turnips - and they were delicious - but while battling the intimidation of cooking a new vegetable, I thought I'd warm up to them through paint.

I loved these colors! I had to stop myself from buying more this morning (I have some commissions I need to work on, no time for Turnips!) 

We ate them sliced thinly, in garlicky spinach pesto pasta. I highly recommend!

The Shortest Mother's Day Recap Ever!

 "Red Cabbage (sketch)"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

I had a lovely Mother's Day, spending time with family and friends, and, of course, painting! Now it's Monday, and my week is off to a great start with a model session already under my belt. (Also lunch - lunch is under there too.)

Pensive: A new, loose figure painting.

"Pensive"

14 x 11 inches, oil on canvas

Here's my work from Tuesday night. After painting LARGE for a few days, I attacked this one with big brushes and came out with a very loose effect, which I like - though I admit, it's different from my usual approach to the figure.

Here's a progression (click to see it bigger):

The Red Violin

"The Red Violin"

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$250

Click to buy

Getting looser with the instruments! I decided I had to have some deep, rich blue to go with those oranges and golds, and it worked just the way I'd hoped it would. In fact, I have a much larger variation on this color scheme threatening to topple off my easel right now... I guess its tender legs aren't used to the strain of such a big canvas!

 "The Red Violin (sketch)"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

Sold

 Thanks for looking!

Music in My Blood

 

 "Instrumental"

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

$350

Available here

I added a few things to this still life between painting the sketch and the finish. With so many dramatic horizontals in the composition, I needed something to break it up - enter my Chinese Lanterns and a handmade ceramic vase. The sinuous shapes and shiny surfaces of the instruments are so inspiring to me right now, but they aren't exactly organic. I wanted a little organic energy in the larger piece. Just a touch.

You can read about my sketch (on the left, below) - and how I came by these lovely instruments - in my last post.

It's surprising that this is my first instrument-painting-foray. I don't own any instruments, I don't play - or even read - music, but I've been around music my whole life. My father is a professional cellist, and I have good memories of being parked in an opulent concert hall during rehearsals with my sketchbook and pen, and only the distant music and my eight-or-nine-year-old self for company.

When asked why I never started to play, my answer comes pretty readily: I never needed another hobby as a young person. I was drawing and painting all the time! 

I still don't regret not learning to play, but I treasure all my memories of being backstage (and in front of the stage), watching my father play in the orchestra.