12 x 24 inch acrylic WIP ??

I started this painting a couple of days ago and I am liking my results so far although I still have a lot of work to do on the bowl. I am really enjoying painting these jars and plan on doing a couple more in acrylic. I still haven't come up with a title yet for this painting but I am leaning towards "Waiting to be Pickled"

Canning Time 15 x 30 inch acrylic

This painting is just about finished except for some more blending on the background. I am very happy with my progress using acrylics. I think I am actually liking them now and will probably continue using them in the future.

WIP continues

I have been trudging away on this painting and I think I am almost finished, just have to work a little more on the cloth. This has been a real challenge for me and I am glad I tackled it. The lids on the bottles are really killing me though and I am still not happy with them. I thought the clear glass would give me the most trouble, but this was relatively easy for me. Although it looks like the table is slanting, it is only my terrible photography. IRL it is perfectly straight.

WIP continues

I thought i would post this painting after doing the first layer of color. It is starting to take shape although I now see some errors in my drawing that I have to fix. I decided to paint in acrylics this time so corrections are done very easily since it dries so fast.

New painting WIP 15 x 30 inches

I started another painting today from a set-up of some mason jars I had in the house. I liked the colors and thought it would make an interesting arrangement. This is the first layer of values much like a map of where i want the painting to go. This layer is done in acrylic but I am not sure whether I will continue in acrylic or switch to oils. More to come.

WIP continues

I worked a little today on this painting and I am finally making some progress. This layer really added something that was lacking previously. I darkened up the background with a beautiful rich dark brown color and I really like how it glows now. I will probably do another layer or so on the apples and touch up the highlights and then I think it will be complete.

WIP continues

I have decided to go with the dark background on this painting and I am glad i did. I think it looks much more dramatic this way. This is the second layer of paint and I will wait until this is dry to do another layer. I am not sure how many layers will be required but usually I just stop when it feels right to me. As I look at this photo I see that the top rim of the teapot looks lopsided and that there is a hard line on the left hand shadaw of the teapot. I will fix these things as I progress. I find that I can always see things in a photo that I have a hard time seeing while looking at the painting.

24 x 36 inch oil "Three Tulips"

I thought I would post this painting while waiting for the previous painting to dry. I have been working on this oil for a couple of weeks and I think I am almost ready to say done to it. I think this is the largest floral I have done and it was a challenge. I am realizing that yellow is a very hard color to work with (and photograph). After my teapot is finished I don't think I will be doing anymore yellow paintings for awhile.

WIP 20 x 24 inch oil

I thought I would show the progression of an oil painting I have just started. This time I did the underpainting in acrylic to speed things along and the next photo shows the first layer in oil. This will probably take me a week or so to finish but I do love working in oil. So different from acrylic and I think the paintings look much richer in color than acrylics. I am still not sure about the background color. I am leaning towards a darker background for more drama but am not sure at this point. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

11 x 14 inch acrylic "Pot of dallias"

I am finally calling this one done (for now anyway) and I am VERY glad. I had a lot of trouble with this painting and I am not exactly sure why. The pot especially gave me a lot of grief and I am not entirely happy with it but i am ready to move on to the next.

20 x 20 inch acrylic "Peace"

This painting is nearing completion so I thought I would post it now. I am happy with how the rose turned out, but I need to do a little more work on the leaves. This was another good practice for me with acrylics.

24 x 20 inch acrylic "Life is a Bowl of Cherries"

I have been working on this one for around five days and I am really glad to sign my name and call it done. Painting in acrylics is such a challenge for me and I get so frustrated when working in this medium. In some ways I love the fast drying times but at other times I wish I could work the paint more! I may have to try some extender next time.

WIP Finished

After working most of today on this I think it is done. There a subtle changes that are probably not all that noticeable except to me. I will give it a coat of gloss medium and call it done.

12 x 36 inch acrylic "tulips in a vase"

I thought I would post this painting even though it is a long way from being finished. Again some more practice with acrylics and this time I did a full grey scale painting first. I am determined to teach myself the process of glazing in acrylics. It is a very slow and tedious (for me anyway) way of painting. I usually try to paint the subject directly with little layering when I paint in oils, so this method is a challenge for me. I like how the painting appears to have a glow. This is due to the light bouncing through the many thin, transparent layers of paint. I will post the finished painting again in due course.

14 x 18 inch acrylic "The Three Amigos"

This painting is another practice with acrylics. I liked the composition in this size canvas. The colors are not exactly as they are IRL because for some reason I cannot photograph yellow very well.

12 x 16 inch acrylic "Orange & Silver"

Another practice piece with acrylics. I think I am finally getting the hang of it. Acrylics definitely are finicky but I know the more I use them the more comfortable I will become. I need to get out of my comfort zone. I have decided that I am going to paint LARGER. There is definitely something freeing about using a large brush and forgetting the little details. That is not to say that I will not be aiming for realism but I think you can attain realism even when leaving out the small details. I am going to focus on light and values. I look forward to starting this new chapter in my artwork.

I need to clear out my studio to make room for those large canvases so I am having a studio sale again this year. I am selling everything smaller than 16 x 20 inch for $75 or less. Email me for individual prices. I accept PayPal.

18 x 30 inch oil Still life

I have been working on this for awhile and thought I would post it as I am almost finished (I think). It is done from my own set-up in a light box. This is quite different than painting from a photo, which I usually prefer. I find it hard to get the right prespective with the layout and I took so long getting it done, my fruit started to rot! Good thing it was out in my studio and not in the house! There are a few things I do not like with this painting but overall it was a good effort and good practice for me.

New acrylic paintings 8 x 10 inch

I have been practicing with my acrylics this weekend. Still not sure if they are something I want to pursue in my art. They are fun for those small, quick little paintings but for something larger I think I will stick to the oils.

30 x 40 inch "Pears" in acrylic

Did this great workshop this past weekend with Norma Jackson in acrylic paints. As the pictures show, her technique is to start off with a value study in burnt sienna and then paint over in several layers with your colors until you arrive where you want to be. I found the acrylics to be a little bit frustrating especially for someone used to working with the wonderfully slick, slow-drying oils. I did enjoy the workshop though and this is the largest still life I have done to date.

WIP Finished

I spent a pleasant rainy day inside the studio finishing up this painting as well as starting another. I will post that one as it progresses. I think I have done all I want with this one. I just hope I did the photo justice. Thanks to the contributor at WetCanvas for the great photo.

WIP continues

More work done on this one and hopefully those look like red onions (cause they are) and not plums. I need to strengthen up those shadows, especially on the eggs because they tend to look like they are floating. I will let it dry for a couple more days and give it another layer.

WIP 10 x 12 inch oil

Another new one I started today. I was not quite able to photograph the colors so that they look correct. In the actual painting the plate is more a turquoise color. Looks very pretty with the pink/red colors. Bet you can't quess what the other two items will be. Stay tuned to find out. It is probably not what you think!

Finished !!

The heat has finally let up and I was able to finish up this one in the studio today. It was actually quite pleasant in there today and I am having a very pleasant day in my studio. This painting will soon be posted for sale in my Etsy Shop.

WIP continues

I spent a few more hours on this painting and it is slowly going where I want it too. Just so stinking hot in my studio that I cannot stand to paint for too long. Not complaining because I do love the sunshine so much.

11 x 12 inch oil "Apples in a blue dish"

I have been working on this one off and on for a few weeks. It has been pretty slow due to the lovely weather we have been having. I really have to be outdoors when it is like this here. I have done a bit of blocking in, but of course I will need to go back and tune up these colors. I also see that the eliptical is a little off on the bowl. I always have trouble getting this right.

WIP continues

I worked a little more on this painting. It is closer to what I envision, but I am not fully there yet. I have to leave it alone for awhile and look at it with clearer eyes.

WIP 12 x 24 inch Tomatoes in oil

I started this one a couple of weeks ago and I am finding that it is more difficult than the photo looked. The tomatoes especially are giving me grief. I will have to wait a week or so for this layer to dry before I can go further with this painting.

8 x 8 inch acrylic" 3 pears #2"

Another installment in the series I am doing on fruits and vegetables. It was really hard to photograph this painting, so the colors are not quite right on. The actual painting has more golden tones and not such bright green.

$50.00 - FREE SHIPPING

8 x 8 inch acrylic "3 pears #1"

This little painting is the first in a series of 8 x 8 inch paintings I will be doing with fruit and vegetables. I will be offering all for sale for $50.00 with free shipping. I am using golden open acrylics for the first time and really like how they work similar to oils, but of course dry a lot faster.

$50.00 - FREE SHIPPING

12 x 24 inch oil

Just started this one today. I really like this format and so far it is going pretty well. No major problems yet. I still have a lot to do especially on the doilly? but I will try and post some progress pics soon.

$250.00

20 x 20 inch oil "Storm Watch"

I really felt like painting an ocean scene today. Landscapes arent' usually what I like to paint, but I wanted to paint something very loose and quick so I did this in around an hour. I am not finished yet, I want to go back and do some more foreground work. I really enjoyed slapping paint around on the canvas. Great fun.

$200.00

24 x 30 inch oil "Breeze through a window"

It has been a long time since I have posted anything or painted for that matter. Sometimes life just gets in the way of doing what you really enjoy. I have been trying to find an image that I like with the colors that I want for a room in my house. I think I found it here. This one was a little bit difficult due to all the straight lines but it is coming along. Not finished yet, but definitely going in the right direction.