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Apples in Glass Bowl

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I'm getting a lot of paintings out of my trip to the apple orchard. There's something to be said about working on a theme, that being apples. I know how to paint them quickly now and that comes from familiarity. I'm not done painting apples, but I'll take a break from them for a while. Hmmm, what to paint next?

Two Apples on White Cloth

It's funny how I can get so caught up in unimportant stuff. But somehow painting brings me back to center, it is a solace for whatever is bothering me. It's my way of making things right. I'm fortunate to be able to paint. When he has time, my husband is a fiction writer and it's the same for him. Here's a passage from a new short story he's written and I think it sums up why we do it..
"the unmitigated, dispassionate pursuit of truth, unhindered by incursions from reality, having to deal with the constant fear that it will all lead nowhere, with peril and mistakes lurking at every turn,  the work laborious, a slow accumulation of minor advances with surprising tangents, each new result suggesting a hitherto unseen direction, with moments of elation followed by harsh setbacks, confidence in one’s ideas reduced to despair, but yet there remains the imperative siren song, calling him to continue".

The Greyhound

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This greyhound dog was so wired it had its mouth open in a yawn every time I looked at it.  Well isn't that what dogs do when they're stressed? I'm not sure, but it was a beautiful dog.  It had booties on all four feet. I decided not to paint them but on second thought, it would have made the painting more contemporary.

Golden Delicious on Yellow Plate

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I find yellow one of my most challenging colors. To darken it, I have to find a way to keep it in the yellow family.  To make it appear lighter, other yellows have to be a smidgen darker. It's also relative to the adjacent colors. I'm sure someone else could explain it better. That being said, it took me several tries on scrap paper before I painted it on this panel. There aren't many times I can say I've gotten my revenge, but today I'm eating this apple (ha ha) as I type this post.

After Apple Picking

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We went apple picking and hiking this weekend and it was so nice. With the Granny Smith apples we made an apple galette. So delicious. Perfect weather and everybody was relaxed. This is what fall weekends are all about.

"The Black in Sunlight is Lighter than the White in Shadow" Challenge

I'll be hosting this week's painting challenge on Daily Paint Works. It will run for a week starting this Sunday.

Below is what I submitted for my challenge. 

 The Challenge

There's a saying, “Black in sunlight is lighter than white in shadow” and that's the principle I used in painting this Dalmatian.

My DPW challenge is to paint your light colors in shadow darker than your dark colors in the light. Yes, this hurts my brain too.
To keep it straight in my painting, I made a simple four color chart.
It helps to squint to get your values right and don't worry if it takes a few tries, it did me. 

To view this challenge go to Daily Paint Works Challenges.  

If you haven't tried this idea in a painting , then this may be a fun exercise.

Oscar & Cobra

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These funny two upside down birds were fun to paint.  I met their owner at the Fireplug 500 Walk for Animals.  She left her email address with me that day and when I contacted her I told her I'd be happy to paint her birds, no obligation,  just paint them for practice and fun. And it was. What a goofy pretty pair.

Big Reflected Cherries

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I've finished this larger painting, continuing with my New Year's resolution of one larger painting a month. At least I'm trying. I thought this painting was going nowhere when I first started but I'm pleased with the outcome. It's big, bold and colorful and I feel like I'm visually bathing in it. Is this how painters of big paintings feel? I like it. :)