Radishes

"Radishes"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

$400

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We've been getting a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box every two weeks, and it's fantastic! These ravishing radishes stole the show last time. Summer cooking has been great - in fact, all cooking has been great since quarantine. I haven't cooked this much in years, literally.

On the Red Carpet

"On the Red Carpet"

10 x 10 inches, oil on panel

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Red Heels no. 2

"Red Heels no. 2"

9 x 12 inches, oil on panel

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I had a great time teaching portrait with the Zorn palette in Southern California last weekend, and now am planning to enjoy painting a bit of still life in preparation for my next workshop, at the beautiful Gateway Academy in St. Louis, June 21-23. There's still time to register, if you'd like to join me!

Green Salsa - A One-Dollar Auction!

 "Green Salsa"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

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I taught some GREAT workshops in May,  capped off with Memorial Day weekend at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, on the Oregon Coast, with a wonderful group of artists. 

Here was their value demo, in black and white, which later became this painting!

Oil Painting Boot Camp is turning out to be a really fun workshop - we use only three colors and white (artist's choice!), and do some of my favorite quick exercises - Twisted 20's, Stroke Economy - and of course, work from fun, colorful still lifes!

Beautiful studio, isn't it?

My next Oil Painting Boot Camp will be July 26-28th, at The Oklahoma Academy of Classical Art in Edmond, OK. Join me!

Red Heels

"Red Heels"

10 x 10 inches, oil on panel

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When you're a still life painter, people regularly offer to lend you their stuff. Some of my favorite painting experiences have been with borrowed items, and these slick red heels are no exception. Thanks to my artist friend Zoe for volunteering her daughter's shoes!

Some other borrowed-item paintings:

 

Red Heads

"Red Heads"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$350

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I copy the details on these dolls pretty carefully - except the faces. It's fun to play with their little expressions, and shows me once again how small changes in a portrait can really affect the overall mood I capture!

California Pomegranates

 "California Pomegranates"

8 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

$400

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I was recently in Sacramento, teaching "Oil Painting Boot Camp" to a fantastic group of artists. One of them gave me these pomegranates, picked right in his own back yard! Nice people, beautiful weather, and the neighborhood I was in, Oak Park, was lovely. What a great visit!

Here's my value study, made with Procreate on the iPad:

If you're curious about just what "Oil Painting Boot Camp" might entail, you'll have several opportunities to find out in 2019 - including another in Sacramento in May, and on Bainbridge Island, Washington - a FOUR day version - in April.

And if you'd like me to visit your home town for a workshop, please get in touch. :)

Red Ribbon

 

 "Red Ribbon"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$350

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 Well, I got some new ribbon. I'm not going to go so far as to call it an obsession, but it's now officially a phase. It's just so - flexible! As a compositional element, I mean. In this painting, I'm loving the little arrows of light pointing to the "kiss" where the ribbon and apple meet. The longer I paint, the more I realize that I'm not painting objects - or even colors, but simply light and the effects of light.

The sketch for this one was a quickie - ballpoint pen! 

Do you ever sketch in ballpoint pen? There always seems to be one handy.

Strawberries for the Fourth!

 "Four Strawberries"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

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Red, White, and Blue. Happy Fourth of July, all!

Unfurled

 

 "Unfurled" 

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

$250

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Still Life Open Studio, Holiday Edition, was a bit smaller than it might have been due to some seriously yucky weather, but those who braved the icy rain got to witness firsthand my wretched excess when it comes to ornament still life setup.  Even I had trouble deciding which of the half-dozen paintings I was seeing in the objects on the table to bring to life on canvas. But this curling ribbon kept snagging my eye - and here it is! 

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Collectors! Don't miss this opportunity to browse my paintings, new and old - come find out what I mean when i say serious end-of-the-year deals. Saturday and Sunday, 11-7, at Whitprint:

The Green Line - And Trade Show News!

 

 "The Green Line"

10 x 10 inches, oil on canvas

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Here's my newest still life! I was drawn to the green line on this pear - can you picture me examining every single red pear on the shelf before choosing just the right one for a painting? 

I like all the triangles and circles in this composition - they echo the shape of the pear, which is nothing more than a circle with a triangle on top, when you break it down.

In other news, I'll be at the Duck Store on the U of O campus all day Wednesday and Thursday, painting and chatting away! Tools of the Trade is a really fun event, with tons of products to try out, and big discounts. I'll have my greeting cards and calendars for sale, too - so come down and say hi!  

River Stones and Reds, and a Time-Lapse Video!

 "River Stones and Reds"

16 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

$400

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I picked up some stones last weekend on the bank of the Willamette river. I was out there at dusk, and all the stones looked white - or maybe they were just dusted with dried mud. When I cleaned them off, they were pleasingly multi-colored. 

I also really enjoyed the yellow line on the red pear.

Here's the very beginning of my process - you can see me fiddling around with placement a bit:

I Hear the "Click"

 

 "Red Reflection"

9 x 12 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

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If I paint until I'm 100, I'll never get tired of the little tricks light plays on the world. 

This painting exists because of that beautiful red streak bouncing onto the underside of the pomegranate from the silver dish. When I saw that, I heard the "click," that inner voice that says, "This still life is ready to be painted!"

Below is a quick color chart of my palette for this piece: Cadmium Red light and Alizarin Crimson, combined with Hansa yellow, Ultramarine blue, and a green mixed from the two. Then two rows of tints beneath. This chart was a demo for one of my private students, to show the possibilities of having  both a warm and a cool version of one of the primaries in a limited palette. 

 I'll be in the Portland, OR area this weekend, teaching "Color Mixing for Painters" at Sequoia Gallery + Studios - you can still sign up for that! More info, and online registration here. Can't attend a workshop? Check out my online art mentorship program.....

 

....And, as always - thanks for reading!

Plum Parade - Now It's a Series!

 "Plum Parade"

approx. 8 x 11 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

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Here it is, the one that made it a series. And my third one-dollar auction of the week! You can see the first two here and here.

All three plum paintings, in chronological order. Which is your favorite?

Left to right: "The Red Snake," "The Red Knife," and "Plum Parade," each approx. 8x11 inches.

The Red Knife - Another One-Dollar Auction!

"The Red Knife"

approx 8 x 11 inches, oil on Arches oil paper

One-Dollar Auction!
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Here is the second in my plums-and-strawberries series. It officially went from a "thing I'm doing" to a "series" when I painted the third installment this morning. Hopefully you'll be seeing that one soon - it still needs its highlights touched up.

A Painting of Flowering Quince

"Quince"

14 x 18 inches, oil on canvas

I passed this strange, woody, leafless, flowering bush several times on my jogging route without taking too much notice. Then, I saw a small vase of these blooms on a random desk, and stopped in my tracks. So many of my paintings start with my just noticing some small thing and thinking, "That."

Back to the jogging route I drove, with my trusty glove compartment scissors!

 I've got a still life painting workshop coming up, March 19-20th, in Eugene. It's going to be two intense and informative days - oils and acrylics welcome. More info and online registration here!

Bud and Blossom

"Bud and Blossom"

9 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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It's my Blogiversary!

 "Big Reds"

12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas

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More red Camellias! I have a larger painting in the works with this setup, but in that one the blossoms are still mostly closed. I thought they looked lovely the next morning as they opened, so I started a second painting. 

Eight years ago, on February 21st, 2008, I wrote my first blog post - and it wasn't much! Looking back at my work over the years is fun, and I see some subjects I'd like to revisit...

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.

Painting Pretty Pears

"Three Red Pears"

8 x 8 inches, oil on canvas, framed

$200

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Another painting of these beautiful pears. They lasted a long time in the studio, but went from unripe to rotten, so I never got to eat one. Oh well, I bought 'em for looks anyway. You know that feeling you get when you're shopping for produce to paint, picking up 20 different apples to find the prettiest one --- like people are looking at you funny? Yeah, me too.

Here's a halfway point work-in-progress:

I'm teaching my last three-day still life workshop of 2015 next weekend, October 17-19th, here in Eugene. All the info can be found here. Thanks!