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

 "White Object, Lemons"

12 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

Available here

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

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The Red and the Green

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

$350

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Why 'The Red and the Green,' you ask? (Because let's face it, this looks more like 'The Orange and the Pink'). It was done using the same red-green-yellow ocher palette that I used for my last figure painting.  It also happens to be the title of a book by my favorite author, so it kind of sprang to mind.

Below is the sketch for this piece - 30 minutes.

 This weekend is looking pretty great: an art opening tonight (not for my work, but a show I'm excited to see), a very special portrait model in the morning, book club with the girls Saturday night, and maybe some more palette experimentation squeezed in too! I dug this old thing out of my bookcase the other day:

I think I got it when I was about eight. It's vintage.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Do you have a favorite author? Favorite book?

Is there a particular limited palette color combo I should try next?

"Purple Bowl of Plums" fruit bowl still life kitchen wall art

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

Framed, $250

Available here

The approach of Autumn means it's plum season, and though I picked these fresh off the shelf at Costco, I'm looking forward to some serious U-pick action in the backyards of my kind friends. Hint hint! Don't make me sneak in there under cover of darkness....

I'm such a garden-stalker. Not sure how many more years I'm going to be able to get away with my line about having no deer fence, and therefore having to snag everyone else's yard bounty. At least I'm not one of those people who knock on complete strangers' doors and say, "Are you going to eat all that rhubarb I see growing in your garden?" (<---true story, that happened to my mom!)

"White Pitcher of Lilacs" floral flower still life daily painting one dollar auction

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

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Hoping you all had a great Mother's Day weekend. I went a little crazy on Saturday, competing in a 5 mile mud run and getting ever so slightly banged up. After attempting to minister to my bruises and scrapes all day Sunday, I thoroughly enjoyed (the comparatively civilized act of) painting with my still life workshop students this morning!

"The Kanji Vase"

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

I love this blue cloth against the oranges. Talk about your complements! Also, a word about the vase: I trash-picked it from the dumpster behind a local ceramics studio. A potter was throwing it out! What I was doing rummaging in their dumpster...um, nevermind.

And speaking of fun things to do in Eugene: if you're planning to come out for the Marathon on Sunday, keep your eyes peeled for Carol and I. We'll be running the Half!