Day Seventy-Nine

                                                 'Stacked'

6 x 8  oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     Fresh, and not overworked, I like this casual arrangement, and more 'spontaneous' feel.  I need to do it more often...

Day Seventy-Eight

'Time for Breakfast'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I found this rooster at an antique shop while on vacation.  I couldn't think of what to put with it.. I know, roosters don't lay eggs, oh well, it was all I could come up with.   I'll have to attempt to paint the broken egg in a bowl with the empty shells, too.  I've seen it done so well by Carol Marine and others.  I've been buying these brown organic eggs for several years now...

Day Seventy-Seven

                                                  'Kiwi'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

SOLD
I know, this kiwi looks like a potato, but there wasn't much to go by, and hopefully by putting the cut one next to it, it will look a bit more kiwi-ish.   The inside was interesting to paint, and I contrasted it with the plate color and background.  I'm open to any opinions about the color choices, if you want to comment !

Day Seventy-Six

                                                            'Red Raspberries'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I love to eat raspberries, but I didn't know if I could paint them and make them recognizable.  I think you can tell what they are, but then I lose the fresh looser style.  Oh well,"paint and learn", I always say.

Day Seventy-Five

                                                           'Afternoon Snack'

6 x 8  oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

I like this arrangement.  Working with the backgrounds always presents a challenge to me.  I like the dark red with the green of the apple.

Day Seventy-Four

                                          'A Pear Above'

SOLD

6 x 8  oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

Tried a little different arrangement.  I got this cute little plate set with 4 different designs at a garage sale.

Day Seventy-Three

                                                                'Fall is Here'

                                                                               nfs
   The pod I found after my daughter finished a half marathon a week or so ago.  The entire family was there to cheer her on, and it was such a special, and beautiful, morning.   The pods from the magnolia tree look almost velvet, with their mossy green edges.  I wish I could have had a better composition, but, after cropping this to create a more effective finished painting, I decided that it should be NFS this time...

Day Seventy-Two

 
                                                               'Dappled Bark'

6 x 8  oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

This large tree fascinated me with it's huge trunk. I loved the way the light gave it so much definition. 

Day Seventy-One

                                                          'Kirkwood Park'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

I've decided to try a few landscapes. I took my camera to Kirkwood Park on a windy day a week or so ago. The wind was brisk, and the sun threw elongated shadows on the ground.  I had a good time with the color and contrasted values.  I'm wanting to get the plein air easel and do some more when the weather warms up,(which this year it seems as if it's never going to get cold.)

Day Seventy

                                       'Three's a crowd'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I always pick pumpkins with the longest stem I can find, and the most twisted and interesting.   They are fun to paint.
     This scan of the painting turned out too dark.  I'm still trying to get better pictures of them.

Day Sixty-Nine

                                                          'Down the Runway'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I had never eaten figs until I started to paint them!  Boy, they sure are good !  Anyway, I placed them on this colored paper to contrast the deep indigo color.  I borrowed this idea from Carol Marine, and Claudia Hammer.  I love their blogs, so I wanted to try the technique.  Backgrounds are something I struggle with, and I'm always looking to improve the way they look. 

Day Sixty-Eight

                                   'Did you make the cut?'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

These plums had such a beautiful color, I thought they would go nicely on my yellow plate.   With it's yellow interior, it's decked out in it's own complementary color scheme !

Day Sixty-Seven

                                                            'Cubanelle Peppers'

6 x 8 oil on panel

 40.00 + 6.00 s + h

I know, I'm on a "pepper" kick, but I loved the way these were shaped, and the interesting forms.  Who knew there were so many kinds?

Day Sixty-Six

                                                                  'Buddies'

                                                                     6 x 8  oil on panel
                                                                                           40.00 + 6.00 s + h
                              I tried for a different perspective on these, and I liked this point of view...

Day Sixty-Five

                                        'Is it hot in here, or is it just me?'

SOLD

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

 I love painting peppers.  They are so varied, and have such fun indulations, they are like little sculptures in themselves.  I'm never sure which ones are hot, but I don't really cook with them that often.  My husband grills them with shrimp and just a little olive oil... yummy !

Day Sixty-Four

                                                             'A Penny Saved'

 

 8 x 8 oil on panel

 50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     This is another vacation antique find.  I saw one is red, and one in blue, but the red reminded me of one I remembered from my childhood.   My sis had an idea for the setup... thanks, Lin.
     I've gone back to scanning the paintings, but of course, they need to be completely dry.  I'm still not sure of the best way to present them.... Always open to suggestions !

Day Sixty-Three

                                                    'Here's lookin' at you !'

                                                                            SOLD
                                                                      6 x 8 oil on panel
                                                                                             40.00 + 6.00 s + h
     This little bird usually sits on my kitchen window sill, but now resides in the basement studio, so he can pose to get his portrait painted !   He has a bit of personality, I think...

Day Sixty-Two

                                                        'Going Bananas

                                                                     6 x 8 oil on panel
                                                                                           40.00 + 6.00 s + h
My son once sent me a long email on the wonders of bananas... It said, like, they were the perfect food.   I DO love them, so I have no problem eating them often, and having them here for the grand babies. 
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/banana-nutrition-facts.html

Day Sixty-One

                                                                 'White pumpkin'

8 x 8 oil on panel

  50.00 + 6.00 s + h

Am I crazy, or did they NOT have all these varieties of pumpkins when we were kids?  Maybe they were always there, but they never showed up in the stores like they do now... Anyhoo, I love all the different types, and the little ones, and I really like this white variety.
     Same problem with the picture, sorry, I'll have to get better with my camera !

Day Sixty

                                                            'Diana's teapot'

                                                                       8 x 8 oil on panel
                                                                                              50.00 + 6.00 s + h SOLD
I found this teapot at an estate sale, where I had taken my grandbabies shopping with me. 
It belonged to someone I knew long ago, and I hadn't realized it was her house.  It makes it special to use in a still life, and I enjoyed working with it.
     The photo of this painting is still not good.  I wish I could get better pictures... Maybe today I'll take all new pictures... we'll see.

Day Fifty-Nine

                                                                    'Papaya'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

I've never eaten a papaya before, in fact this one sat in the studio too long, and I didn't get to eat it either.   There is a store called Global Foods by my house which sells foods from all around the world, and they have wonderful produce, too, like this papaya.   I love the rich red-orange (one of my new favorite colors) and the contrasting purple cloth.  Aren't the seeds interesting, too?
     This photo doesn't do the colors justice, I'm afraid.  I still haven't quite gotten the 'taking pictures of my paintings' down pat yet...

Day Fifty-Eight

                                                                'Coffee for One'

                                                                      8 x 8 oil on panel
                                                                                             50.00 + 6.00 s + h
Here's another little cream pitcher I got in Alabama on vacation.  I couldn't resist the great green color !  The silver gave me 'fits' with the reflections and details, but I liked the end result.

Day Fifty-Seven

                                                          'Coffee with Cream'

                                                                     6 x 8 oil on panel
                                                                                           40.00 + 6.00 s + h

I bought some fabrics to use as backgrounds, while we were on vacation. (Hancock's of Paducah) .  I loved this vivid purple.   I also picked up this cream pitcher to paint, from an antique shop.  I loved the color, the way the handle attached, and the shape... It's call LuRay, and is from the 40's or 50's, I guess. I had fun with this one.

Day Fifty-Six

                                                                    'Nectarines'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s +h

I was sort of surprised when I really studied the color of these nectarines.  I always had in my mind that they were almost the same as a peach.  They are much more intense, and the colors are also alot darker.  Most of the effectiveness or success of a painting, I think, comes from the artist's Eye, rather than from their Hand. 
     I haven't gotten the knack of taking really good photos of my paintings.  I've taken them outside, flat on the ground, inside with flash, scanned on my scanner, too.   Then I have to change the pixels to no bigger than 600 pixels in any direction for the Fresh Paint site.  I've got so many versions on Picasa out there, I can't remember what's what.... Can anyone give me any "pointers" in doing the best photographs???

Day Fifty-Five

                                                             'Jacks are Better'

 

6 x 8 oil on panel

  40.00 + 6.00 s + h

SOLD
I used to love jacks as a kid.  They still make them, but they look different, and bigger, and plastic instead of metal.   I loved some of those simple games we used to play, back in the 50's and 60's.... ah, nostalgia ! ha !

Day Fifty-Four

                                                                 'Apple Snack'

                                                                      8 x 8 acrylic on panel
                                                                                               50.00 + 6.00 s + h
This painting is acrylic because I did it while we were on vacation in Alabama.  Oils are too hard to travel with, and they are hard to clean up after.  I had forgotten how different the two mediums are, but I had fun with this, and I liked the end results.  I was pretty limited in subject matter, since I painted on the little breakfast room table in the hotel...

Day Fifty-Three

                                                        'Copper and Coffee'

                                                                 6 x 8 oil on panel
                                                                                      40.00 + 6.00 s + h
This painting shows the pot more true to it's shape.  It was taller than in yesterdays painting, so I painted it again.  I do enjoy doing the reflections.  I'm trying to just put the brushstroke down and then LEAVE it alone, and it's so hard to make myself do that !  I'll continue to work on it, though.  

Day Fifty-Two

                                                         'Reflections of Coffee'

                                                                       6 x 8 oil on panel
                                                                                               40.00 + 6.00 s +h
This is my first attempt at a reflection. I had fun with it and like the way it turned out.  I really do love my coffee, too.   This little copper pot I found at an estate sale that had lots of antique stuff. 

Day Fifty-One

                                                                 'Off to School' 

                                                                            8 x 8 oil on panel

                                                                                                     50.00 + 6.00 s + h

We couldn't think of a title, so blame my hubby for this one.  I guess she could be off to school to take her teacher a basket of flowers... This vintage chalk figurine is the companion piece to the one I posted yesterday.     The old blocks in the painting are my grandbabies initials.. ha !