Soup Fixings

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The inspiration for this painting started with the white metal pot. Love it. Found it at a dilapidated antique shop on the north fork of Long Island and couldn't wait to get it into a still life painting. Getting the different textures - the sheen on the pot, the dusty skin of the potatoes, crispiness of the carrots and so on, was the ultimate challenge here.

Long Beach Life Guard

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Forgot to post this one. I painted it way back in July on probably one of the hottest days of the summer. This local life guard kept watch in the shade of an umbrella. Capturing the color and value of the shade on her figure juxtaposed to the bright sun all about her was the main challenge of this plein aire piece.

September Sunflowers

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This was a BIG painting for me to paint en plein air - 20"x40". It took several sessions outside and then a little bit of tweaking in the studio. I was attracted to the different stages each flower was at: one just opened and others already well on their way to seed.

Glass Jug with Two Flowers

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As I was eyeing up this composition and deciding from which angle I should paint it, I was drawn to the distortion inside the jug. I think the very severe dark background works with the light foreground because the line where they meet is "re-routed," sort of swirled inside the glass. On another note, I just noticed that my last few posts are all basically yellow flowers in glass. Funny how you can get stuck in a rut. Now to get unstuck. Wish me luck.

Yellow Rose in Glass Bottle

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The color of this old bottle is so wonderful as are the imperfections within it. I think the overall composition of the painting would have been better served if the rose was a bit more upright...but then again, maybe not.

Little Bottle of Flowers

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Another little green bottle from my collection featuring two tiny yellow flowers - most likely the last from my garden for this season.

Summer Table Setting

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I know it is a little late in the season to post a summer scene, but I had forgotten to take a picture of it back in August when it was painted. So, here you go. A little taste of summer in November.

Pottery and Glass

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Here are some more of the bottles from my collection and an old ceramic pot and plate I found at a yard sale. The purpose here was to paint realistically and yet obtain some abstraction by arranging the bottles so that the plate and pot would look distorted through the glass.

Light Through Old Bottles

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I have a great collection of old bottles for my still life arrangements. Some I purchased on eBay, others I bought at yard sales and a few I dug up in my own backyard. Yup. I live in Sag Harbor, NY which was established in the early 1700s. Buried household trash from over 300 years ago is buried treasure for me! This painting features four of my dug-up finds: the green bottle in the back right, the amber bottle on the left, the whisky bottle in the front and the tiny blue glass jar in the foreground.

Peonies Three

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It has been a while... all good - and now I am back at it. This still life was painted in natural light. I happened to find a spot at my house that has steady light most of the day. A great find! The peonies are home grown and that's actually an exterior window ledge upon which they are sitting.

Hydrangea and Oranges

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This is the final in my hydrangea series. I found it difficult to create the bigness of each hydrangea bloom, while tending to the delicacy and airiness of each little floweret within the blossom. It was a painting paradox, for sure. Comparatively, the oranges and pottery were quite straight forward.

Hydrangea Bloom

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The goal here, was to really observe the hydrangea bloom.  I tried to notice the subtle value changes within the "whiteness" of the flower and the slightly different shapes that make up the overall mass. Admittedly, this was a difficult flower to "master," not just because of all the intricacies of each bloom but also because it wilted very quickly.  Worth the effort though, as it is such a beautiful flower.

Hydrangea and Citrus

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It was a challenge to set up this still life. I really liked the way the colorful citrus looked when placed  around the white pitcher of hydrangea. However, the arrangement had a disjointed look until I added  the ribbon which ultimately "tied" all the elements of the composition together.

Breakfast of Champions

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I always wanted to paint a banana. The trouble was that in a bunch it was too much yellow for me. A single one, peeled on a plate, just didn't sit right. Then I saw the work of Brian Busch and what he did with a banana, and my problem was solved.

February Freeze

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I did not know that oil paints can freeze. I found out making this painting! Must say, I never felt more alive than when I was outside, standing on frozen snow with temperatures in the teens, chasing the greys and waning light on this February day.

Yellow Tulips and Books

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Note to self: Stop putting the focal point in the center of the painting. Not effective. Otherwise, good job.

Yellow Roses in Turquoise

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I am quite pleased with this little still life. In particular, I like the perspective and the lemony yellows joined with shades of turquoise and greys. An interesting color combination I will be sure to work with again.

Yellow Tulips in Metal Urn

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These were very unruly tulip buds; so difficult to arrange. Finally, I just let them go and actually liked the way they scattered themselves in the metal urn. I think the free spirited buds juxtaposed with the upright, rigid container ultimately is what made this composition work.

Glass Vase Filled with Orange Roses

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Ok. My all time favorite thing to paint is water in glass. Hmmm, make that water in glass with a handful of beautiful flowers thrown in!

Brooklyn Bridge for Jen

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  My wonderful friend, Jen, finds inspiration in the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Specifically, she is awed by the staggering number of obstacles and bad luck the designers had to overcome during construction. Wikipedia gives a quick synopsis of the daunting events and explains Jen's respect for the process, never mind, the absolute beauty of the finished structure.
  So, it was no wonder that she commissioned a painting of this engineering marvel and architectural masterpiece. What I love about commissioned pieces, is that I end up painting subjects I might never have thought to paint on my own - the Brooklyn Bridge, for example. My thanks to Jen, for giving me this opportunity and for helping me see more than what meets the eye when driving across that spectacular span.

Lone Lily

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Thank goodness for grocery store bought lilies. They are getting me through these bitter cold winter days when painting out of doors is out of the question. So, in my warm studio I sit and try to capture the beauty of these scented, sensuously shaped blooms.

Lilies by the Window

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My new studio space in Sag Harbor has two beautiful French doors. I decided to make use of them in this still life setup. Being able to "see" out the window past the jug of lilies increases the perception of depth in the painting. Needless to say, I will be featuring the doors in future compositions.

Lilies in White Jug with Pears

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I am pleased with the movement of color around and across the white jug in this painting. I feel it  captures the sunlight as it bounces off the books, pears and tabletop. Painting "white" by putting color into it, is a total rush for me. There once was a time when I couldn't even see color in white, never mind paint it. It is wonderful to continue to advance in my ability to really see. Ironically, it comes at a time in my life when I have to wear glasses!