GATHER AROUND

6x6, oil, $80.00

This was a second still life that I just could not pass up painting.  The play of color in the glass lent itself to a calligraphy for fun brushwork.  I loved the colors working together.  Cherries are very fun with the myriad of reds. 

A BIT OF CITRUS

8x8, oil, $100.00

Yesterday was a fun painting day.  I love setting up still lifes.  So on most Fridays I have the opportunity to set up a few still lifes for a wonderful group of painters and then I get to paint.  The hardest thing is deciding which one to do.  On a very good day I have done three of varying degrees of my abilities.  This meaning that I hope to have one that feels complete.  That does not always happen, but I learn lots about my focus.  It is so important to ask myself questions and to stay on task.  Art is a discipline.  As an artist I study all the time.   I read and look at lots of work.  Each painting I do reflects something I am working toward.  This one reflects brushwork, color, form and shape.   Now there are things in this painting that disturb me, but for the most part I am happy enough to post it here for all to see.  And for the disturbing things, I know what I need to work on. 

SOAKING UP THE LIGHT

6x6, oil, $75.00

I think I enjoyed this painting for the fun of the brush.  I felt free and confident in my stroke which was nice.  

A TOUCH OF PINK

8x6, oil, $90.00

This was a simple still life I did a few week ago.  I like the way the light touched some of the petals as the flowers moved out of the shadow, making them pink.

STEPHANIE

10x8, oil, nfs 

This is lovely Stephanie.  It is always wonderful to paint, draw or just observe life.   Today was a good day.  Stephanie was our model at a life painting session.  All I can say is it was fun.  I enjoyed every minute.

COOL ON WARM

10x8, oil, $120.00

Thought I would try my hand again with a rose.  I enjoyed painting the warm background against the cool pale yellows, blues and whites of the rose.  I found myself focusing on the vase and leaves more than the rose itself.  The light was a incandescent with a fluorescent.  I directed it more directly over head and found that it flooded the soft pedal of the rose and washed away color and shadows in the rose, but still cast a nice shadow on the background.  I loved the play of the green leaves against the warm red.  

What is fun about painting almost everyday is the chance to just try things.  Tomorrow is another day and another painting with new things to try.  Taking info from today will always benefit tomorrow.

Before I started today I read a little about values and light in a book from my self called "Problem Solving for oil Painters", by Gregg Kreutz.  I loved reading this in the chapter on light,"The thing to remember is that you're not really painting a green apple, you're painting light hitting an apple.  The apples existence is revealed by the light".  So light is everything...

  

OH SWEET ROSE

6x6, oil, sold

This little painting made me crazy.  Roses are just difficult for me.  I approach them with a value sketch and lay out a map to follow and still find myself lost in the layers.

So something to continue to visit with spring not to far off.

JAKE

6x6, oil

This was a quickie at the end of the model session on Monday.  I totally loved just putting down the paint.  My thing for the day was mixing shadow colors and revisiting values.  A day is just not enough.  Just about the time I start discovering, the day is over.  

FRENCH WITH A LATIN TWIST

6x6, oil, $85.00

by Dori Dewberry

There is nothing like the strength of the male bone structure.  So angular and beautiful.  Wonderful planes of light and shadow.  I enjoyed playing in the warmth of the shadows and laying in the light on the upper back.  He twisted his hair up so that some of the painters could see his back.  At some point in the day we asked about his background.  He told us he was French with a little bit of Latin.  So that is how the title came to me.

I enjoy painting from life so very much, that the idea of painting from photos just bores me.  At the same time I realize it is necessary.  There is such a meditative state that calms my body like nothing else can.

BLOOMING SHADOW

8x6, oil, $90.00

Back to the easel and still life after a nice break.  I have been playing around with color and having some fun.  There was a time that all I did was play with color.  Never finished a painting and doodled on everything in sight.  As fun as that was it is sure nice to have something for my time.

FRESH AIR

24x26, oil, sold

Got out and did some hiking over the holidays and it was great to feel the cold fresh air against my skin.  I take lots of photos when I am hiking around in our local mountains and parks.  I am always amazed how the landscape changes throughout the year.  The terrain is very dull, dry and barren right now so it is fun as a painter to change things up.  Draw upon memory or just a change of harmony on my palette can excite a subject.  I had lots of fun with the color on this one.  I really built up layers of color to get to the final.  I love seeing the layers pop through to the surface and show off.  Lots of color.

WITHOUT LIMITS

24x24, oil on stretched canvas

Here is the larger version of the last post with some changes and adjustment.  I thought about the title and changed it slightly too.  I am happy with the end results.

I wish everyone a very happy 2011.