New Still Life

"Plums", 8"x8", Oil on Board
This is a piece I've been working on for awhile now. I'm just glad that I finished this before the new year. I painted most of this piece using thin glazes of color which I would have to let dry in between layers to get the desired effect. Probably my most difficult glaze was the light colored haze that you see on plums. I couldn't get that layer to dry quick enough and would end up ruining it and having to start over. At any rate, I'm finished! I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holidays! Take care!

Pastel Landscape

"Cape Elizabeth", 10 3/4" x 8 1/4", Pastel on Sennelier La Carte
I haven't done anything with my pastels in quite some time so I thought I would give this landscape a try. This piece was initially laid in with some harder pastels like Rembrandt and then as I build up the surface I use my Sennelier, Schmincke, Great American and Unison pastels. When the painting is finished, I usually do not use a fixative (which my framer hates) because it really changes the color of the pastel. For me personally, it feels good to work in a different medium once in awhile. Take care Everyone!

Old Playthings!

"Blocks and Marble", 6"x8", Oil on Linen
I finished this piece yesterday but I've been having a difficult time getting a good shot of the painting to post. I often wonder if other artists struggle as much as I do photographing art work. At any rate, I'm not happy with this piece but thought I would post it just the same. I've also been busy working on some pastels lately which I'm not sure if I'll post on here or not. I guess it will depend on how they come out.

Who Likes Cherries?

"Sunlit Cherries", 4 1/2" x 6", Oil on Board
I actually finished this piece yesterday. Probably my biggest challenge with this piece were the reflections on the bottom of the cherries. I had to do a lot of transparent glazes to get them just right. Some of the reflections had an almost graphic quality to them but that's really how they appeared. I think the arrangement of the cherries works and for some reason I was worried about it because I used four of them. For the most part, I'm happy with the piece!

I Finally Finished This!

"Trio", 9"x 12", Oil on Board
Thank God I finally finished this! This is probably the third painting of pears that I've painted. I guess it's my favorite fruit to paint! I'm actually happy with the results and feel that it came out better than I had anticipated. My biggest challenge with this piece was getting the values correct and capturing all of the subtleties in the shadow areas. Enjoy!

A Small Painting

"Three Marbles", 4"x4", Oil on Board

I Just finished this small piece tonight! I'm probably a little happier with this painting than my last one and that's probably because I enjoy painting reflective, shiny elements more than I do fruit. I placed these marbles outside in the sun and was really intrigued by the dark cast shadows that each marble produced. I'm not sure if I'll continue working small or paint something larger next. I guess it will depend on where I go with my subject matter.

It's Been Awhile!

"Macs", 8"x8", Oil on Board
Hello Everyone! Yes, I know it's been a long time since I've posted any new paintings. I've been dealing with some health issues which have really put a damper on my ability to paint. I'm trying to get back at it here and finished this piece of McIntosh apples. I'm not happy with this piece but at least I'm painting again. I also haven't been on-line very much either so hopefully I can get a chance to look at all of my favorite art blogs and catch up on everyone's new work.

More Candy

"Plain M & M's II, 6"x6", Oil on Board

I finished painting this a couple of hours ago and decided to go ahead and get this posted tonight. I ended up painting this candy piece because I really wanted something colorful after painting the teapot. The biggest challenge painting these pieces are all the lettering on the packages. I might have to reshoot this piece because the yellow M & M looks jagged on the edge. It's not like that on the painting so I'm not sure what's going on. For my artists pick of the week, take a look at Scott Fraser and Linden Frederick's work. I was fortunate to see Linden Frederick's work at the Farnsworth Art Museum back in 2007 and it's impressive.

Teapot Finished

"Children's Teapot", 10" x 10", Oil on Board
I finally got the chance to finish my teapot painting yesterday. I'm sorry it took so long to get this finished but I haven't been painting much lately because I have been dealing with a lot of personal problems. I'm actually pleased with how this piece turned out considering the level of difficulty I was presented with. For my artist pick of the week, take a look at Jeffrey T. Larson's work. This man paints beautiful still lifes!

Spout Finished

I finished painting the spout area a few days ago and wanted to get this photo posted to update everyone on my progress with the teapot. For my artist pick of the week, take a look at Robert Jackson's work. I especially like his paintings with the balloons!

Plugging Away

Hi Everyone! I wanted to post an update on the progress I am making with the teapot painting. Yes, it's slow going but I'm getting areas blocked in and I'm currently blocking in the area of the spout, bottom, etc... I spent the majority of my week reading chapters from textbooks. I also want to include a link to Richard McKinley's weekly blog. Richard has three great articles on "The Switch to Digital, parts 1,2,3" on how to take digital photos of your work and how to prepare them for show entries. I thought this might be great info for any beginning artists out there because he really explains everything in great detail. For my artists pick of the week, you might want to check out Nancy Depew who paints incredible florals and does an awesome job painting silk fabric under her small works. If you get a chance, also check out Adam Vinson and Tony Curanaj's work.

Finished Nectarines Today

"Nectarines II", 8"x 10", Oil on Board
I was happy that I finished the nectarines today because I'm ready to move on to something new. I'm not 100% happy with this piece but I guess I can live with it. For some reason, it took quite a bit of effort to get back into the groove of painting after being sick in December and with the interruption of the holidays. With that being said, I'm already looking for my next subject to paint. I start a new semester on Monday and I'll be taking two classes this time so I'm going to have to manage my time wisely so I can continue painting. Since I have insomnia, I figure I can use the extra time for painting or studying. If you get a chance, check out Ted Polomis' website. His work is awesome! Well, I hope you all have a great week painting and oh, if you hate the music playlist just turn it off.