WIP finished!!

It is time to get this painting off the easel and another on. Glad of it.

WIP 20 x 30 inch acrylic "Crock Pot & Friends``

I started this painting around a week ago and I am moving very slowly towards completion. I guess I am just not feeling this one for some reason. Originally I had the background in a pale yellow color and it looked so washed out. I think the dark background has made a great improvement but I still have a lot to finish up.

"Strawberries & Cream" Finished

I am putting this painting away for a little while. I have spent far too much time on it and I am not sure it is really finished yet. I am sure I will see something to change after a week or so of looking at it!

New WIP "Strawvberries & Cream" 12 x 24 inch Acrylic

This is the start of the painting I am working on now. It is going fairly well although the red cloth proved to be a bit of a challenge. I think it will be ok in the end though. Stayed tuned for progess shots.

12 x 12 inch acrylic "Cherries"

Another smaller painting completed. I didn't really enjoy doing this one. I found the bowl to be especially frustrating and I am not really happy with it. I have another idea for a larger painting that i think I will start next. Stay tuned.

WIP Finished 15 x 30 inch acrylic

I am calling this painting done. It was a real challenge but i think I say that about every painting I start! The red of the tomatoes was especially hard to get right with the colors that I have but i think in the end they turned out ok. I really love this format and size for still lifes. It makes the painting have a real presence in a room.

WIP 15 x 30 inch acrylic

This is another new painting started yesterday from one of my own photos. It is turning out to be another challenging piece but at the same time I am enjoying the whole process and learning as I go. I am finding it really hard to get a decent orange for the tomatoes. It is leaning more towards red and not the brownish red that I want. Off to do some more mixing!

Green Apple Finished

I am so glad to call this one done. It was more challenging than it started out to be. The value changes in the white stripes where especially hard to do.

WIP stage 3

I put another layer of color on this painting and it is starting to take shape. This is starting to be a fun piece and I love the greens.

WIP continues

This is the first color layer in this painting. It seems to be going quickly but I know I will need lots of layers to get the effect I want.

18 x 18 inch acrylic WIP

I thought I would post this painting to show my progress starting with the value study. I usually don't begin a painting in this way unless it has a lot of value changes as this one does. This will make my job easier when I get into the color. This actually went quite fast just over 1 1/2 hours so I think putting the color on will go just as fast. This is definitely the "messy" stage.

14 x 18 inch acrylic "Mason Jars" SOLD

Here is another painting in the "canning" series. This one gave me a lot of grief and I am not really happy with the results. I don't think I really liked the photo from the beginning and it shows in my results. I will probably do some more work on it at a later date.

Red & Silver reworked

After some good suggestions from my friends at WetCanvas, I changed the table color in this painting. I think it looks a lot better now and I am happier with it.

WIP 16 x 20 inch acrylic

I couldn't wait to start this painting mainly because I love the colors. After the muted colors of my previous painting, this one is a joy to paint. I still have a lot to do on the bowl and apple, but I think the cloth is just about done. I may also lighten up the background color, staying with the blue but just a bit lighter. The blue is a nice complement to the red. The reflections are a little trying so i am going to simplify them a bit.

WIP Finished 15 x 30 inch acrylic "Copper, Vinegar and Eggs"

I think I will call this one finished for the time being. It went fairly smoothly for such a complicated set-up and I enjoyed painting it. The most trouble came in the reflections and I am not fully satisfied with them. I will probably re-paint them at some point.

WIP 15 x 30 inch acrylic

I thought I would post this new painting although I am a long way from calling it finished. I think this is the first time I have tried to paint copper and it has been quite challenging. I think this is mainly due to the fact that my reference photo, which I shot myself, has two different light sources, one from the right and one from the left. There is two windows in the room I shot this photo. These windows left quite a glare on the kettle and there are some weird reflections that I may have to tame a little. I really wish I could take better photos. It would help a lot.

WIP 12 x 24 inch acrylic

I am not sure what to call this one, but I liked the simplicity of this still life when I shot it. For such a simple layout, it really gave me a lot of grief and i am still not finished with it yet. The teapot is looking too white for my taste so i will have to redo it and the background needs another layer of paint to smooth it out. My daughter says I am too much of a perfectionist and she is probably right. She thinks it is fine the way it is but i know I will still play with it tomorrow.

WIP Finished "Waiting to get Pickled"

I am finally putting this painting to rest and calling it finished. This was a fun one to paint and I learned a lot about how to paint white ceramic. This is not an easy thing to do. It is very hard to get a smooth finish with acrylic since it does dry so fast, but i think I did a not too bad job on this one. The bowl definitely was the hardest part of this painting.

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.