Indian Summer Roses

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Here in Sag Harbor, NY, we are experiencing an Indian Summer. Putting aside all the ominous implications that may have regarding global warming, it meant that my favorite rose bush just kept pushing out gorgeous blooms right up through November. I did a series of three little paintings, and this is the first of which I am posting. If you look closely, you will see the rose hips mixed right in with new buds and spent flowers. 

Set for Spring

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I stood very close to the table arrangement as I painted this piece because I had two goals in mind. One was to create a table set with inviting breakfast items placed so as to create rhythmic points of color on the white table cloth. Second, I wanted to capture how a person approaching the table might scan the setting. So initially, it appears that you are looking directly down onto the egg and the grapefruit. You, the viewer, then look up passed and across the orange slices, glass and blue jug and finally through the water pitcher and the glass vase of tulips.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pitcher of Peonies

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I loved the abstracted, sort of frenetic way these peonies, stems and leaves arranged themselves in the pitcher. I say, "arranged themselves," because in truth, that's what happened. No matter how hard I tried to get them to conform and sit neatly in the glass, they just kept falling out in disarray. In the end, the negative space between the blooms and leaves brought a complimentary looseness to the tightly painted turquoise pitcher. This work is on view the Grenning Gallery at until mid-January.

Sunflowers and Blue Bottle and Pears

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This is a painting I did a few weeks ago, and have been meaning to post. Creating a still life in plein aire and alla prima was a double challenge. I had to work quickly. I had to be precise about what I was seeing. I had to really look at the values. I find this all to be very rewarding because my primary purpose as an artist right now is to stay loose and painterly. Plein aire and alla prima sort of force that to happen. When I work this way, not every painting is a keeper. In fact, some are truly bad. The ones that work out, however, are very satisfying to me.

Sunflowers in Sunlight

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I love setting up a still life in direct sunlight and then, having a go at it. What a challenge! Perfect, however, for keeping me loose and painterly. Sunflowers are key to this plein aire adventure... they don't wilt in the sun and you usually can get a few days of painting out of one bouquet!

Little Bit of Lilacs

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I have begun a series of 8"x8" studies of all that spring has to offer. My aim is to capture each bloom as I see them and feel them. So I will be painting not so much from a botanical perspective, as from the absolute pleasure I feel when I touch, smell and drown my sensibilities in each flower. I do so wish that blogspot had a "scratch and sniff" widget!!

Orchids with Sugar Bowl and Bottles

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I am so excited to have remembered a painting process that I read about years ago in Richard Schmid's book Alla Prima and just recently saw demonstrated by Daniel Keys in one of his painting videos. The basic idea is to look at the still life, determine the shape and color of an area and then put that color and shape directly onto the canvas. Return to the still life, look again, determine the next color and shape you see and then put that down directly onto the canvas. There is no underpainting, no glazing, no reworking. One precise color, value and shape placed repeatedly on the canvas until the painting is complete. When I DON'T use this method, I often find myself "repainting" the painting several times over which is obviously very inefficient and incredibly frustrating. I am so happy that I was reminded of Schmid's technique by watching Key's video. I am determined not to slip back into my old lazy painting habit of just going round and round on the canvas until it all works.

Orchids to Scale

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Please remind me NOT to put a round object dead center in the middle of a still life set up ever again. It is absolute self-sabotage.

Kelly's Carnations and Fruit

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I was lucky enough to "win" the centerpiece at my friend Kelly's baby shower. The bouquet of pink carnations came wrapped with pink and blue ribbons. For this still life, I removed the blue ribbon. Yes, it could be that the blue ribbon just didn't work in the composition, or....  it could be that I think she's having a little girl!!  ;)

Little Green Apples with Ribbon

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My focus here was composition and color. Regarding composition, I wanted the ribbon to draw attention up to the apples and then around the rest of the painting.  The pink of the flowers peeking in from above literally brings it full circle. Oh, and the greens... lots of fun making some warm and keeping others cool. Happy Valentine's Day.

Green Apple in Blue

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It has been a VERY slow painting start for me this new year, what with Christmas, and house guests, and colds and flu. So, today I HAD TO PAINT. I was like a wild woman dashing around the house trying to put together an interesting still life setup. All that I had in the way of fruit was this one green apple. I had a few decent sprigs left from a week old bouquet of flowers and my trusty blue bottle. I threw in some interesting shadows and reflections, and "wha la!" Happy and satisfied... the creative itch, scratched.

Lemon Yellow Roses

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Boy, Christmas will screw up plans for a painting a day! Feels like I've been away from my easel for months. Anyway, I am back at it and oh so happy. Believe it or not, these roses are from my garden. It is the end of December and I live on the east end of Long Island, NY, and my rose bushes are still supplying me with THE most beautiful subject matter for my paintings. Global warming, perhaps? I'd rather think of it as a Christmas miracle!

Large Ceramic Pot with Sunflowers

I have been attempting to create two paintings from the same still life setup. I usually start with a smaller panel, 6"x6" and then go a bit bigger for the second painting, 8"x8". Here is the second, larger painting from the kitchen setup I did yesterday. You would think that because I worked out the colors and light and values in the smaller version, this one would almost paint itself. Not so much!  ;)

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Sunflowers in Ceramic Pot

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I find painting still life in natural light to be so challenging. A setup on my kitchen table is especially difficult as there are two sources of light. One window lets in warm sunlight while the the other lets in cool north light. As the day progresses, and the sun moves around the house, that north light window eventually is warm with sunlight. Add in that the sun is basically down by 4 pm and I am literally racing with the clock. Ultimately, as I chase the sun, putting cool light down over an underlayment of warm, a wonderful vibration of color starts to happen. That is what I love the most and while challenging, painting still life in natural light is oh so worth it!

Copper Pot of Sunflowers with Pears

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Since sunflowers last a long time, I decided to create a large painting of this still life.  It is 11"x14" - way bigger than my usual 6"x 6" -  and took two sessions to complete. The sunflowers held up nicely. Overall, they are a very forgiving flower to paint, unlike roses where one false stroke, and you might end up with a tulip on your hands... or canvas! Think I might be off to buy another bunch of these beauties tomorrow. Available as a note card.

Sunflowers and Pears

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There is a wonderful little farm stand just down the road from my house. The other day in the pouring rain, I pulled over, ran in and grabbed up this bouquet of sunflowers. "Oh, won't these brighten up your house on such a gloomy day," said the owner as she wrapped them up. Little did she know what I was really going to do with them when I got home!