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.