On The Line

Pears are a fun shapes to work with.  This was one of the paintings I did while in Sedona at Carol Marine's  workshop.  

8x8 oil

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$75

SURROUNDED

8x8, oil, $100.00

Everything was green and yet different.  Always a challenge to see into a color and pull out the differences in the light and shadow.  Green is always a challenge for me because it is never just green.  

"SINGING THE BLUES"

4x4, oil on 3/8 panel, $50.00

Oh such fun must come to an end.  This is the last of my pear series for the moment.  Just a little different in it's setting.  I love experimenting with blues lately and relationships around the color wheel.  I find there is always something new to knock my creative mind for a loop.

"A PEAR OF MANY COLORS"

4x4, oil on 3/8 gesso panel, $50.00

I am really enjoying playing with color in the creation of these pear paintings.  They are great exercises in fearlessness and a small format to complete in short sessions.  Lots of fun.

"A PEAR'S LIFE"

4x4 oil on gessoed 3/8 panel, $50.00 

Another pear painting in my series.  To this sweet and juicy pear that has served me well.  Just one more and then fruit salad it will be.

"MY BEST SIDE"

4x4, oil on 3/8 gesso board, $50.00 +$10.00 S&H

I just love all the colors in pears and of course their shapes.  I equate them with the female form.  They are just so voluptuous.  I love painting and drawing from life and this fruit is the closest thing to the human form I know.  My sense of humor might be playing into this.  I am sure there are others you might think of and want to share.  I would love to know what you think.

"ODE TO THE PEAR"

4x4, oil on gesso 3/8 panel, $50.00 + $10.00 s&h

I need to sing the praises of the pear.  It is a lovely fruit with a beautiful shape.  The pear has been my subject on many occasion.  In those times of creative block the pear has offered itself to pull me through to get to the part I love most ...to PAINT.  Subject can be difficult on many levels and can stop the paint process completely.   Looking for something inspiring that might also inspire the viewer can be stressful, which is a very left brain place and messes with the head.  So when I am feeling that way, I paint pears.  I let go and paint...  And then I eat the pear, yummy.

"LINE UP"

6X6 oil on canvas panel

Working with pears and compliments is lots of fun.  

$65.00 + $10.00 S/H

Mixed Fruit 11x14 oil

Well here is another fruit painting using the left over fruit from breakfast and lunch while in Ojai. The set up on this is odd with four to one groupings, but oh well. I continued to work with the Cynthia Grilli palette. New for me is using mediums and glazes and letting things dry. I didn't let things dry all the way, but enough. The medium of dammar varnish, linseed oil and turpentine helped with the drying time. I go back to class tomorrow to learn more on this. It has been fun experimenting.

Bartlets and Tangello 6x8 oil

Here is one more quick still life I did while in Ojai. We went on a wonderful hike in the morning, had lunch in town and then some went shopping. I took the time to paint these wonderful pears and little tangerine.

The fruit was on a table by the door and the nature light lite the fruit. I did an under painting with burnt sienna, yellow ochre light, utramarine and titanium white. Using these basic colors I blocked in values. This made it so much easier to work with color and the underpainting created harmonywith the colors glazed on top.

A Pear to Share 7x5 acrylic

I love doing these no fuss, fast drying, crazy color acrylic paintings. One thing is I am not hung up on what I am doing. I'm not looking at a still life. It is totally made up and all about learning color balance. I am an over blender with a strong fear of bright color. This is like therapy!!!!! the artists answer to journaling. I can work in my pajamas and shuffle about releasing emotions through paint. It is rhythmic and relaxing and very playful. Play is a very important thing in art and LIFE. Permission granted to stick your fingers in the paint.

Trees 8x10

Painted these when it was a bit too windy in the creek bed.  This is a whole new venture to figure out and show depth and light.  I could do this for a while.  My photo is not picking up the distant light and is looking quite gray.  One of these days I will understand how to fix these things.

Today is my twentieth painting for the month of January.  I am pleased to say I met my goal.  Now I need to evaluate and look at what I learned.

A Cup Stands Between Them 6x6 original oil

I have been loving staying home this month.  It has been a perfect time to work on small studies.  

Partial to Pears

I love pears. I love their shape. I love their color. I love the way they just lay around. They are all just different enough to be unique.
I did this some time ago when I was starting to work in oil. I had studied pears in pastel and felt comfortable enough to try them in my venture into oil. It is fun to look back.
I painted pears yesterday in an attempt to do a painting a day. I have a new appreciation for those of you that paint a painting a day to post and then paint everything else you are working on. I need to learn to simplify so that I don't spend the whole day on one thing. I don't have that kind of time. Practice! Practice! Practice!