Segments and Stripes

"Segments and Stripes"

10 x 10 inches, oil on panel

$350

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This one was so fun (those stripes!) that I decided to do a larger version. One of my goals for this year is to work bigger, and so far, it's been going well! Check out the big guy on Instagram.

Italian Plums

"Italian Plums"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

$450

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I was given a LOT of these plums by a generous friend with a generous tree. I made five paintings of them last week! So, abundance all around.

Plums on Pink and Blue

"Plums on Pink and Blue"

16 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

$700

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I'm exploring "Fabric" with my online mentorship students this month. They've already done some incredible things, and I'm discovering a newfound love for the stuff. Go figure!

Clarity in Black and White

"Clarity (Black and White)"

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas
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Many of my black-and-white paintings are done on Arches oil paper, but this one is on stretched canvas - one that was toned with a sepia base layer, giving the resulting painting a warm glow.

Pink Ladies

 

 "Pink Ladies"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

$500

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Pretty in pink - and white! There's some luscious thick paint on those apples. Click the image to zoom way in! 

Here's my sketch - sharpie, ballpoint pen, and white marker on tan paper. These really help me plan my composition and value structure.

Three In, Three Out

 

 "Three In, Three Out"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

I loved noticing all those blues of the bowl reflecting onto the apples - and the green reflections in the plate! Lots of opportunities for chunky color spots. Satisfying!

 

Green Shadow

 "Green Shadow"

8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

I painted this alongside a lovely group of workshop students last weekend, walking them through the steps of planning a successful still life. Thumbnail sketch, Notan, 5-value study, underpainting, color! 

These steps are great tools  - I don't do them all, for every one of my paintings, of course. You loyal readers have seen many black and white studies from me, but over time, the other steps have become mental - I look through a viewfinder and try out different compositions in my head instead of doing thumbnail sketches. I think about the Notan, the overall light/dark effect I'm creating. Then I launch right into the value study.

The step I'm leaving out is really preliminary - setting up the still life! Always fun, always challenging. And that's the part that my students don't have to worry about when they're in a workshop with me! I take care of that. ;)

Room For Two

 

 "Room For Two"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$250

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Lots of teaching lately! I started this one yesterday with a private student, and finished it up this afternoon. This bowl makes me pretty happy.  That dark rim is so satisfying to paint. 

Color Swoon

"Color Swoon"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

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My eyes pretty much want to live inside the color of this ribbon all the time. It's like the feeling of exhaling a deep breath - your body relaxes. 

That's how my eyes feel when they're full of this color.

Simple is Best

"A Small Bowl of Oranges"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$250

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This little painting makes me happy. Sometimes simple is best.

Blue Diamond

"Blue Diamond"

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

$500

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I've been getting a lot of questions about my Tarot series paintings - mostly, are there more of them? For now, no - there are only the three. But who knows what this weekend will bring in the studio?

I really want to insert a pun here about whatever's 'in the cards,' but nothing's coming to me. Stay tuned!

Shiny Persimmons - and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 "Shiny Persimmons"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

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Happy Thanksgiving! I'm grateful for green and orange, just one of the many color combinations that make my heart sing.

I'm grateful for you, the artists and art-lovers that inspire me to create.

And I'm grateful for the process, for learning and growth. Looking forward to more and more - this holiday season and onward!

 

Happy Holidays, enjoy!

Early Persimmons

 "Early Persimmons"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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Here's how this one looked, through my viewfinder:

 And the palette I painted it with! Lots of reds in the mix, along with two yellows - a warm and a cool - and one big strong blue.

In other news, my 2018 calendar is out! Order yours by clicking here - or come visit me November 8-9 at the Tools of the Trade Show at the U of O Duck Store. I'll have a few to sell, and some new greeting cards too!

My next still life workshop will be November 18-19th, at Oregon Art Supply in Eugene. Two days of Painting the Dynamic Still Life! Hope you can join me.

A Still Life Commission

 "Membrillo and Moroccan Plate"

18 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

Sold, commission piece

Sometimes that perfect piece of art is not out there waiting for you to find it, and you have to take matters into your own hands! That's what one savvy collector did recently when she commissioned me to paint this still life of quince. There's a backstory here, but first: my process!

I began with the objects she supplied me - the fruit, a jar of her homemade quince jelly, the Membrillo (a paste made of quince) and its wrapping paper, and several lovey plates and dishes in a blue-and-white color scheme - and arranged them with some additions of my own. Then I did this value study - it's about 9x12:

 The great thing about still life commissions is that the general parameters come from the client, but the inspiration is still my own. I could have made a hundred different paintings with the subjects I was presented! The quince were lovely - a fruit I've never painted before. 

Here's how this painting came together - an underpainting in sepia tones, then I blocked in the blue plate so it had time to dry before I added the pattern. The rest just flowed from there.

 This family bought a painting from me four years ago - a gift for their daughter. And this commission was a gift for another of their daughters, the Membrillo-maker herself! When I delivered the painting, I got to meet both girls, and see the older painting again, which is always a treat.  

Feeling very lucky and blessed - both to have gotten to make this piece, and to work with these amazing, art-loving people.  

Thanks for reading!

Royal Reds, and A Show Announcement

 

 "Royal Reds"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

$500

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Painting Christmas ornaments before Thanksgiving.... that's like Starbucks busting out the pumpkin spice lattes in August! Which they do. In my defense, these pomegranates were just crying out for some sparkly holiday cheer - I love the little dots of light reflecting into the shadow on the lower pom - so fun to paint!

This palette was a red bonanza - I had Cad red light, Cadmium red, Quinacridone red, and Alizarin Crimson up there. Dioxazine Purple, too. Yum.

This painting, and 14 others, is on display at Out on a Limb Gallery here in Eugene this month. The opening reception is tonight, during the First Friday artwalk! Starting at 5:30. Hope you can attend. And read this lovely write-up on our town's newest arts publication: The Eugene Review!

Fall is in the Air

"Red Into Green"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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Well, I had my birthday, and I've broken out the legwarmers, so it must be Fall. I spent yesterday painting outside in some gorgeous weather at the Plein Air Washington County event, and will be heading back up there tomorrow for some more - including their quick draw with costumed models, which I love.

Here's a work-in-progress that shows how this apple came together. Specifically, how I painted out beyond the contour lines and then used the background to refine the shape of the apple, working back and forth to create the edges that I want.

 

I'll also mention that this was painted with a limited palette:

hansa yellow, alizarin crimson, cerulean blue, titanium white.

Peaceful Pears, Primary Palette!

 "Peaceful Pears"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas

$150

Available here

I painted these peaceful pears alongside a private student of mine, in her tranquil, sunny home studio. 

We both worked from a limited palette of three primary colors, plus white. For my three primaries, I picked cadmium yellow, azo coral, and ultramarine blue. 

 

 Working with a palette like this has so many benefits - like simplifying your color mixing, and creating nearly automatic color harmony in your finished piece. If you'd like to learn more about this method of painting, I've got a workshop coming April 23-24th, in Eugene. Click here for all the details!

 

Inspired By Teaching

 "Faith's Fruit"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

I've been working with this young lady, Faith, since the middle of last year. When her mother, who also happens to be the force behind the online arts magazine Combustus, first approached me about teaching Faith, I was hesitant - she was only 11 at the time, and my students tend to be, ahem, just a bit older than that. 

But I snapped out of that very quickly - after all, had I myself not been the recipient of mentorship and lessons at exactly that age, in the home-studio of an artist? The first time I ever oil painted was during one of those lessons, and I will never forget that day... 

Also, she's quite talented, as you can see!

 I set up this still life for her last lesson, and the next day, I looked at it and thought, "Hmmm..." Add a few white objects, and voila - a still life for me! I know I can take some lessons from the freshness and immediacy of Faith's painting.

I love teaching all my classes - workshops, demos, and private lessons. Who can say who gets more out of it, me or my students? 

I've got a brand-new workshop coming up April 23-24th in Eugene. It's called "The Primary Palette," and it's all about how I paint with three primary colors (or stand-ins for what we typically consider the primaries) and white. More info on that here.

I'll also be doing a 1-day intro to oil painting workshop, April 30th, which looks like it's filling up fast! 

And, since I'm plugging away....private lessons are always available, at my home studio or yours. Email me for details.

The Sarah Bowl

 "The Sarah Bowl"

9.5 x 9 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

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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.

The Fruits of My Labor

 

 "The Peach Harvest"

11 x 14 inches, oil on canvas

$350

Available here

Earlier this week, we went peach picking for the first time. Growing up in Ohio, there was always apple picking, but peaches, pears, blueberries? So Oregon. Ironically, the apples are better in Ohio.

I made a special effort to pick some leaves along with my peaches, with a painting just like this in mind!