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.