Tiger from the garden, 7x5, 7/18/09 SOLD

These tigers have been lurking in the garden begging me to paint them.   As I was painting, a dark shape caught my attention through the window.  I was just about to let Whirly Girl out to investigate when I saw it fully and discovered that it was an adult skunk walking through the garden.  Don't think I will let her out for a few hours.

Black-eyed Palm Trees, 6x6, 7/17/09

Sold

The garden here is a great source for painting objects.   These Black-eyed Susans are something I don't have at my ready at home.   The shadows look like Tahiti.   Went to the Phillbrook Museum yesterday and saw a fabulous drawing show.   We are headed off to Oklahoma City today.

Sticky Violetto, 6x6, 7/16/09

SOLD

Here I am in Oklahoma and in the garden are these artichokes that are fabulous.   Whirly Girl (my Shih Tzu) has been investigating the area under every place she could after the rain last night.     Came in the house with black mud all over her face and feet.   Had to clean her up before she got all over the white carpet. 

Six beans, 6x6, 7/15/2009 SOLD

The shadows that are cast by the beans is more interesting than the beans themselves. I'm leaving today for a small vacation but I plan to post a painting every day. But you know how the best laid plans go. Lets hope for the best.

Anchovy olives, 6x6, 7/14/09 SOLD

When Ruth and I were painting in southern France a couple of years ago, we stayed at Jacqueline's house in Entrevenne.    She would cook up wonderful meals and sometimes serve hors d'oeuvres.  One of Jacqueline's favorites was olives stuffed with anchovy.   I must say that it did not appeal to Ruth or me but we tried them to be polite.   Let me tell you, these little treats became one of our favorites.   Yum!  (There is not as many in the jar now.)

Birthday balls, 6x6, 7/13/09 SOLD

The birthdays keep rolling along no matter what you do.  So I went to get a pedicure, now my feet feel great.

Witch Hazel, 6x6, 7/12/09 $100

We found this old bottle of Witch Hazel in a house we moved to in 1968.  It was in an old cedar closet on the second floor.   The little bottle I found in a yard.   I love the reflection and shadow they cast.

I want to thank all 27 of you that subscribe to my blog and get it every day via email.  It gives me a boost and incentive to keep going.    Thank you!

Salt & curry, 6x6, 7/11/09 SOLD

I don't have a pepper shaker to match the salt shaker so I paired it up with my curry shaker which is really a powdered sugar shaker but I use it for curry.    I tried using soft brushes and ran into trouble so switched back to bristle and that worked better.

Hiding out, 6x6, 7/10/09

Sold

I liked the reflections so much I thought I'd do it again but more simply. We had a model today but the painting needs more work or to be burned. I'm not sure which at this point. So this is today's painting instead. I like it. It's simple, clean.

Two for tea, 7x5, 7/8/09 SOLD

This was scary to paint but after I started it was fun.  It took longer than others I've done, maybe there are too many elements.   I need to either use less objects or simplify the detail. Can you see me in the painting?    Whew!  I'm glad it's over.  Now on to the rest of the day.

Are we related? 6x6, 7/7/09 $100

Seems like a perfectly normal question.   They are exactly the same color but the tomato, because of it's translucent quality, seems to glow from within.  Where as the pool ball reflects the color that surrounds.  So even tho they look alike they actually have different DNA.  In case you were wondering.

Staring into the light, 6x6, 7/6/09 $100

Sold

The glow from the inside center of the small strawberry is what excited me.  Also like the reflection that they cast on the cup.   I think the glare from wet brush strokes interfere with the image.

Escaped slavery, 6x6, 7/5/09 SOLD

These tomatoes remind me of the slaves chained together, moving in unison rowing the slave boat across the ocean .    

Plum delicious, 6x6, 7/4/09 SOLD

Being overcast today might be the reason this painting photographed so grey. It's rainy, overcast and cool...what a Fourth of July.

Night club singer, 9x12, 7/3/09

Sold
Our model today was Sara and I thought she looked especially wonderful in this red sequined dress.   This is actually the second time painting on this one.    The first session was on 6/5/09 and that is pictured on this blog for that day.   So it is actually not a one day painting but it is what I painted and finished today.   I realize why the reds were coming out so bright on my previous pictures.   It was because I shot then on the vivid setting with the camera.   This was taken on the normal setting.  The red was a little bit more bright than this but it does show values better.

It is painted on a 9" x 12" oil primed linen panel, it took 6 hours and the price reflects this.  It is going to be beautiful when it is framed and would be a complement in any room.   Lets see.....which room am I going to put it in.   I did painting of a a different model in this dress and it sold quickly.   A lot of people wanted it but it went to the first person that gave me money $400 (it was larger).   

Beans & a bug, 6x6, 7/2/09, SOLD

This beetle was on my patio so I brought him in and have immortalized him in this painting.   He is searching for new horizons but all he sees is more beans.   His future is not looking good.

Purple/grapes, 6x6, 7/1/09 SOLD

I believe the color on the grapes are better. I loved the shadow, it almost looks like a hand puppet with an umbrella.

Conga line, 6x6, 6/30/2009 SOLD

I woke up this morning at 3:30ish and realized that I had not posted my painting. So here is yesterday's painting. There were some loose grapes in the bag so I lined them up. I think they are at the Copacabanna, can't you hear the rhythm and beat. Theys swingin they hips and swayin they little heads.

Strawberry huddle, 6x6, 6/29/2009 SOLD

These strawberries were huge but good to eat! The shadows were blue but somehow they look too blue in the photo. I did a better job with the reds. I used my color value finders to get the right values and hues.

Lost and found, 6x6, 6/28/2009 SOLD

The glow of the light source coming through the marbles was the inspiration.  

Need a break, 6x6, 6/26/2009 $100

This morning didn't flow very well.  There was a power outage, then the hot water heater didn't work and the model didn't show.   The painting looks much more peaceful than I felt.

Last bites, 6x6, 6/24/2009 SOLD

Ahh, the last piece. What else can I say. Will have to wait a whole year till the tree fruits again.

Feeling left out, 6x6, 6/23/2009 $100

I love my set of pool balls even though I don't have a table.  It was a challange, but not as hard as I thought it was going to be, to get the spheres round.  The 1 and the 8 ball clearly have something going on.

Yummmm, 6x6, 6/22/2009 SOLD

This tart cherry pie is the end of the cherries. Here again the reds don't photograph well, but it sure does taste good. What else matters?

Make a wish, 6x6, 6/20/2009 SOLD

The cherry tree is empty now all the birds polished off the last one today. I love the way these two are joined which reminds me of a wishbone.

Fallen plum, 6x6, 6/19/2009

SOLD

This branch fell off the tree across the street during a rain/wind storm yesterday. I love the fact that the leaves and fruit are the same color with the difference being that the plum has that frosty coating on it, and with the light coming through the leaves making them more orange/red.

There's one in every crowd, 6x6, 6/18/2009 SOLD

I've picked the cherries off my tree and will be making a pie soon. Sorry to see them go. I decided to line the cherries on the 1/3 line which gives more space below.

Unlikely couple, 6x6, 6/16/2009 $100

I wanted to do a coup of coffee again and see if I could be more successful.  I think this turned out better.  When I started this morning it was so dark, because of the storm, that the spotlight made a dramatic shadow.   Later after teaching, I had to recreate the same atmosphere in order to finish.   Here again the reds don't photograph well, but I like it better then the last one.

Jessica, 8x6, 6/12/2009 $150

Jessica was our model today.  She has a new hairdo that is very smart.

Apricots on blue, 6x8, 6/11/2009

Sold

Thought I'd better use these last 3 apricots before they spoil.