Pottery and Silver

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This was painted with north light coming from directly above the still life arrangement and day light coming straight at it. These dual light sources combined with the surfaces of pottery, glass and silver made for a feast of reflections, transparencies and highlights - challenging and fun.

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!!

Saratoga Spring

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My new gallery, Spa Fine Art  in Saratoga Springs NY, has asked me to feature their local bottled water in some of my still life paintings. Of course, it was its natural mineral springs, once thought to cure all sorts of ailments that first put Saratoga on the map. This wonderful little town still has a few spas which include treatments with the local water, but it is best known today for its horse racing and in summer, as home to New York City Ballet. Most importantly, it is where my wonderful daughter, Edwina, has spent the last four years as a Studio Art Major at Skidmore College. She graduates in just a few weeks and then, watch out art world!!!

Daffodils with Bottles

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I have a lovely crop of daffodils this year growing outside my front door. I swear that every time I walk by them I can hear them screaming, "paint me, paint me!" They certainly do make very cooperative subjects - heads held high, draped in bedazzling color and compliments to my blue bottles. The only downside to these yellow marvels is their short life span, just about two weeks. I am painting as fast as I can!

Demitasse in Blue

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I have certainly worked this still life set-up to death, but I don't care, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Honestly, when I find an arrangement of objects that "works," I think it is a good idea to get as many variations from it as possible. It helps me get a better handle on painting, in this case, the apples, the bottle, the orchids and cup. Overall, I am very satisfied with my "orchid series."

Tall Lilies

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Okay, so I figured out how to work a tall Easter lily into a still life set-up. Put it on the floor! I am very happy with this composition and like working on a 12"x 24" panel. The shape forces new and interesting placement especially if worked as a vertical. Okay, so now, before these beautiful lilies fade, I plan to do smaller studies of the blooms themselves.

Happy Easter

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I bought myself a big beautiful lily plant, with hopes to paint it. After many attempts, I just couldn't create a still life arrangement that "spoke" to me. It seemed the plant was just a little too tall to work. So, I clipped off one of the blooms, popped it into one of my favorite glass pitchers and threw in a couple of eggs. White lilies and eggs can only mean one thing ... Happy Easter.

A Little Demitasse and Orchids

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I found a set of demitasse cups and saucers at a local thrift store. They are so sweet, and just the right size for my shadow box still life setups. I love the little glint of gold along the lip of the cup. So fun to paint.

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.

Green Apple Stacked

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I love clean color. I love reflected color. I love color that bounces and moves your eye around the piece.   I love color that captures temperature. I love color that pops and sings. Hooray!

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.

Sunburst Through Bottle

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I love when the sun bursts through glass. I love when the sun bursts through anything for that matter. So when it happened that the sun burst through the window just behind the still life I was in the middle of painting, I worked frantically to catch it. I abandoned the idea of the set up in a cool north light as I had been working it, and quickly added in the long blue shadows brought about by the sun. I stroked more yellow into the bottle and the sunlit top of the pears. Then, almost as fast as it came, the sun blast left. In spite of how rapidly I had worked, the painting was not finished. What to do? Like a patient wild game hunter, I decided to lay in wait at the same time the next day. With my paint brush in hand, I was ready when the sudden sunburst returned. It remained just long enough to capture its effect. Ahhh.

Half Measures

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This painting was as much about space and atmosphere and emptiness as it was about the the apples and the rose. I am loving the pursuit of these invisible entities and sensitivities in my paintings.

Tea Party

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 For the record, the title is not a political statement of any sort. It being election day, I just couldn't resist.

Two Roses and Two and a Half Apples

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I am experimenting with point of view. I have noticed that my compositions are clearly more challenging but may also be more interesting when I am looking down on the still life. I have had to get very close to my shadow box and have needed to put my easel off to the side a bit. Basically, I was contorted when I painted this... but it was so worth it!

Yellow Rose Surrounded by Apples

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I broke out the palette knife on this one as I strive to create atmosphere in my still life paintings. Again, I am trying to pay close attention to value and notice lost and found edges. This time, I also applied the paint a bit thicker than usual, and am very happy with the outcome.

Apples and Ceramic Pot

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I was back in the kitchen... whipping up something delicious.... and gala, and macintosh!