First Crop

Today was a beautiful day, so it seemed very wrong and counter productive to stay indoors.

We've been growing our first batch of tomatoes, and have been watching each day for changes. It has been very exciting for my husband and I as we've watched them change from a yellow blossom to full grown and ripening tomatoes.

Today I noticed this one cluster that was an eye catching gradient from green to orange. The colors were so beautiful together, I just knew that it had to be the subject of my painting, today.

Here was my set up as I created a studio in my backyard.

I have everything I need, here. My pallet is a plastic box that has some very thin and wet sponges on the bottom. Then I place a special paper that stays wet along with the sponges underneath. This way my acrylics remain wet and usable instead of drying out within a short period of time.
I use acrylics as if they are watercolor paints. Very thin layers of acrylic are perfect for me as they cannot be re-wet or reworked.

After a significant time of painting, it was necessary to take a five minute break to cool off in the pool. Then it was back to the work at hand (if I can, in fact, call it work).



Here are the stages of this sketchy little piece:

First Crop
6x6 Graphite Acrylic Charcoal on Illustration Board

What a fun piece to paint sitting on the ground outdoors
surrounded by the sounds nature around me.

Petals and Cream

Petals and Cream

P r o g r e s s i o n
S l i d e s h o w

As you can see from the progressions, the flowers were not originally in the still life. About halfway through it became obvious to me that something was needed in order to keep the painting from appearing monochromatic.

This pitcher, one of three cream colored beauties, is from my mother, with whom I share matching sets. I will continue this series with additional paintings in this coloring and with these lovely subjects.

The napkin on the shelf, along with the rest of the set, belonged to my grandmother. They all bear my grandfather's embroidered initials.

Thinking on Her

For the second painting to be completed in our new home, I decided to bring out a familiar piece to paint. It has in fact been 7 months since my last still life, so it is necessary to do some more basic and simple pieces to get back into the swing of things.

Enjoy the progression of this 3 hour painting.

I decided not to dilly dally one bit and after a quick placement sketch, I dove into the deep cobalt shapes to establish the tiny pitcher, blocking in obvious tones as I went.

After a break I continued with more exact edges and values, adding more detail to cause the pitcher to appear more sold and established. The flowers continued to get some attention. I was focused on creating more contrast between the shadows and bright light side of the petals. More paint was added to the previously washed in background and foreground.

Thinking on Her
8x10 oil on linen

After recording even more detail, working on the doily and establishing some more darks, I was pleased and so signed my name.

Cobalt and Petals

The sun was bright, so I decided it was a good day to get back into a painting that had been waiting for me to complete.

The roses were painted in early fall - right before the chill put our rose bush into hibernation. They died long ago, and I’m glad that I painted them first thinking ahead that I might not finish the entire scene before they shriveled.


The cobalt vase was my focus, today, and although the sun is shining directly into the studio for a longer period of time these days, it was not long before a shadow from the window moulding crept across the still life, thus forcing me to stop for the day.

I painted for less than an hour, but the basics were covered, and I will return on Monday with a set of fresh eyes ready to capture the inaccuracies of today’s painting session.

The Arrangement I ~ a work in progress

Saturday afternoon, I began this still life, and immediately found it to be challenging in many ways.

These photographs were taken this morning, and as you can see, the background has changed somewhat from my original block in by a light dusting of snow. Not to worry, I will paint the background after the snow melts away (and it is sure to melt considering the sort of mild winter we have had.) And, do not fret for I will not be painting my neighbor's trash into the painting, either. Ah, artistic license.

I'm not sure how effective the red vase will be with the rest of the painting having a light and muted feel. I am intrigued by the intense shades of oranges and reds I see as the afternoon sun sifts through the vase. So I will press on, and perhaps a striking yet pleasing painting will result.

Here are photographs after the first painting session.

With some selective measurements down, and the background loosely and thinly blocked in, I focus on the most structural (and I thought the easiest) object in the painting, the vase. If I can get this part of the painting correct, everything else will fall into place.

As you can see, there are some drawing corrections to be made, however the feel, color, and temperature are correct and soon when those corrections are completed, I will have a solid foundation from which to base the rest of the painting.

I look forward to putting in those buttery white daisy petals that are caught in the sun light. That will be a fun session. More to come on this 16x20 painting in the near future.

In the Kitchen IV ~ Work in Progress

It's Time for Big Decisions














There are a few more things that are needed before the painting is signed. The cookbook needs a few correcting strokes as some of the angles are a little off. And some decisions need to be made for the background. There's much empty space in the top half, and something needs to be done there, but what, I am not quite sure. I will probably go to some large brushwork, there. Here's where a painting can be made stronger or weaker - in the last wrapping up session.

I do like the lower left corner, and how the towel seems to emerge from the background - something happening, yet not too distracting. I hope to create that same effect for the rest of the background.

Here is a closeup with some more accurate color.

In the Kitchen III ~ Work in Progress

For earlier glimpse and background on this painting, see "In the Kitchen" I and II under "Studio Archives"

It's amazing what a few hours of concentration and about 50-70 correctly placed shapes of accurate value and temperature will do. I realize that was probably a few terms you may not be familiar with if you're not an artist. So, let me explain a little to you as I continue my painting. I may have to split this little lesson up in a few posts, so let's tackle phrase #1 for today.

"Correctly Placed Shapes": It may sound really strange to you, but if you want to paint accurately, one must forget pretty much what is being painted. For instance, when I was painting the apples, I had to fight the urge to think "stem, top of the apple, bruise on the apple. . .etc. " Because when I do that, I'm pulling on the left side of my brain that has records of images of what an apple should look like. I can draw an apple from memory, but it can't possibly match the one I'm looking at.

When I paint, I'm literally thinking, " bright red skinny shape, right next to a wider, yet shorter shape that is a tad bluer than the first red skinny shape." I have to look at the colors and compare them to the color next to it. It's a mind bender sometimes. Somedays I'm right there in the "zone" as I like to call it, but other days I'm not concentrating and it pretty much falls apart before my eyes.

I'll explain Temperatures and Values to you at a later date. I hope you enjoyed your mini art lesson!

Come back soon - I'll be giving you a better look at my studio.

In the Kitchen II ~Work in Progress

See "In the Kitchen I - work in Progress" for the first part of this painting in progression.

As promised, here is a better and slightly updated photograph. The sun went behind the trees very fast today as our days are getting shorter and shorter. Currently I have direct sunlight through my studio from noon until around 3pm.

More highlights were added to the kitchen towel, and I started adding some correct shapes on and around the bowl. I am looking forward to the eggs. . . well, I'm looking forward to finishing this one. It's the most complex still life I have painted in some time, and the longer it takes the less enthusiasm I tend to have. We have had a long string of sunny days which I am very thankful for. I will paint, again, today, and will soon post more updated photographs. Thank you for looking.

In the Kitchen I ~ Work in Progress

It's been set up for about 2 weeks, now, but because of many circumstances falling under the categories of "Life" and "Priorities", today was the first day of real and profitable painting. After a run to the grocery store to get the most old fashioned bag of flour I could find, some apples, and very expensive brown eggs, I set up the still life attempting to mimic the look of a real kitchen counter. Feel very special, for I usually don't like to show the set up, but I thought it would be fun this time.

One thing I would like you to keep in mind as you view the setup and undoubtedly compare it with the painting, (it's hard to fight that urge myself) remember that I am painting, not taking a photograph. I am allowed to make changes in value, temperature and edges. If we weren't then all paintings any artist painted would be the same in style, and they might as well be photographs. So, as a painter, I simplify color changes, edges and subjects,. .etc. to make the painting the best it can be, my goal is not to record everything that is there. With that said, proceed and enjoy.

















My most daunting task was to simulate the backsplash to create a little more authenticity. Here you can see the cover to our radiator turned upside down with a piece of cardboard (the backing to one of my old sketchpads) propped up to look like the back wall. You can't see it, but there is a hole in the flour bag (of course I didn't notice until I came home with it). The old Betty Crocker Cookbook was my Mamaw's, and the kitchen towel, bowl, measuring cups and spoons were all wedding gifts. Notice the lovely Dell box underneath the "kitchen counter". Only the best in my studio.

In the time between my first and second painting sessions, some of the props such as the measuring cups and spoons were temporarily taken from the setup because they were needed in the real kitchen so we could eat.

My first painting session yielded only incorrectly sketched items. So after a faulty beginning I studied the still life as I passed by the room on my way to something more urgent and envisioned the painting completed in my mind as I worked on other things. (Pretty cool - I can do art while I vacuum.) I could see the style I was going for. Loose, simple, effective, yet warm, reflecting the enjoyment I find in cooking. For some reason I could see the apples completed in my mind the clearest, so the decision was made that the apples would be my point of origin, and if done correctly, they would set the tone for the rest of the painting.


















I am pleased with today's progress, and am able to envision more of the painting completed. The sun was going down, so my opportunity for a good photograph was gone before I realized it. This explains the low color quality. The photograph is a little skewed because the wet paint would have created lots of glare if it were taken straight on.

Better and more complete pictures coming soon. If the sun chooses to shine tomorrow I will be painting, again. Keep checking.