Friday, August 26, 2016

Poodle Double Portrait


The photo image of these poodles, mother and child, was emailed to me by a woman who saw my work at an outdoor festival. I loved the pose and their sweetness. Here's how I painted it, I didn't use my usual colors, but used the three primary colors, naples yellow and white. This made my color decisions easier and I think made the composition more cohesive. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Pink Rose


I painted this pink rose at a Karen O'Neil workshop in July. I'm not quite sure why I didn't post it except that I had to go out of town two days later and I had a lot on my mind.  It's been hanging in my studio and I've come to like it. So I thought I would share a couple of things I learned; deep in the shadows the colors get warmer and more saturated and the tips of the petals reflect the background color. 

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Dressed in Pink




This golden retriever stopped by my booth to pose at this summer's Strawberry Festival in June. She looked so lovely in her pink bow and neckerchief and so eager to please. I couldn't resist. 

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Pink Bowl and Oranges Adjusted




This painting has been sitting around in my studio and I always thought it wasn't quite complete. It had two oranges so I added another one and it finally feels right. I now like the composition and the contrast between the translucent bowl in front and the solid oranges behind giving it more depth.

Friday, August 5, 2016

Yellow Pitcher and Cherry Tomatoes



This little yellow pitcher was a bit of a challenge. It's taken me a few days to work it out.  I'm not complaining because I understand painting is a matter of problem solving. I worked with small value shifts and pushed to make some of my yellows darker than they appeared. I have to admit that yellow sometimes feels like my undoing, but I persist.