"Solitary" 6x6

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I wracked my brain thinking up a name for this one. Then, I got all wrapped up in the sort of, double entendre, about the title possibly meaning, the guy in the glass is in solitary, or the shell is feeling solitary because he is the only shell, and I knew it was time to go hang on the couch and watch the Red Sox ;) Ya, and you think painting's easy, huh?

Who, Me?

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I'm going to paint these until they have fruit flies, instead of adding them to the "prop" graveyard in my refrigerator. This is the best photo after several sessions taking numerous shots. I apologize for the glare.

Detail from today's Daily Painting

After looking at the photo, I see that this painting needs a tweak, so this is all I have for you today ;)

Boundaries 6x6

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They're apricots, but if you want them to be oranges, that's fine, too. Like a one size fits all painting!

Colin Page Workshop

Colin Page came down from Maine this weekend to teach a workshop at North River Arts Society in Marshfield. It was a smashing success and we even had a SUNNY day Saturday, to paint over at Scituate Harbor! Sunday was rainy so we did still life in the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Hall which is the NRAS studio. I generally don't do my best work in the workshop setting. Too much going on, for me to completely settle down but, I managed to get three solid studies out of it which is huge. Colin is a seriously amazing painter. No magic, just many, many paintings and lots of diligent work, 'seeing'. He's a great guy too, and we all had a wonderful time! It was great to be able to do both landscape and still life with him as he is proficient in both. I will post more photos(later) of the amazing paintings over at Not Really A Cleaning Lady. So Stay tuned.

Brownfield Spring

This weekend, I am taking a workshop with Colin Page, so I warmed up with this painting, done from another I did on a visit to Brownfield, Maine. There was another building in the original painting, which I omitted, so as to make it more about the cool birch trees. I hope the weather permits outdoor painting this weekend because Colin is a landscape painter with a luminous style. Check him out.

Red Rhody 12x12 SOLD

This red is my absolute favorite color, of the great variety, that rhododendron bushes come in. I used an experimental palette here, just to see what would happen, including Cerulean blue, Permenant Rose, Alizarin, Thalo Violet (grumbacher) Raw Sienna, Cad Yellow Med & Light.

Chasing White

This turned out to be a chase to get the values. I do like the shell and that's the look I was trying to get with the cup. There is more white waiting.

Is it White?

White is a serious challenge because, of course, it picks up all the color around it. However, it's rarely ever, straight from the tube, white. I took this painting farther but, it was over worked, so I'm just posting the block in. This is one reason I try to photograph stages of paintings especially if I have a good start. If I veer off, I can sometimes reclaim what I had going. I have a blizzard of white pottery and glass objects that await me, and you.

Shadow Dance

I started these yellow mums at Kelley's studio last week and posted the block in. Having forgotten my camera that day, I had no photo to work from and had to concentrate on shapes and edges and logical assumption here to finish it. I enjoyed getting some pinpoints of color to lead the eye.

Two Tomatos

I should be planting tomatoes, on this beautiful Memorial Day, not painting them. But this is what I do. I'm heading out right after I post this, though. Remember our soldiers and their loved ones and thank God for Freedom.

Yellow Mums Study 8x8

Yesterday I went to Kelley's Studio to paint and meet her adorable baby boy Pug, Paco, who became my new best friend. We lunched at a nearby diner and then painted these mums. I was going to wipe this but, I think I'll wait. It can always go into the burn pile later. I'm hoping we can have a big bonfire on the beach this Summer/Fall at Nanny's beach house and get rid of all those 'monkey on my back',unfinished or bad paintings. Sometimes you have to purge. It took me forever to get this poor photo of this painting.

Mary's Apples

Last Tuesday I painted with my 'homies' over in Hull at Oceanside 17 Gallery. They've been getting together for Painting A Day Tuesday's and this was my first time joining in. Tuesday's theme was BIG. BIG BRUSHES, BIG CANVASES and BIG SETUPS of Lilacs and Tulips and such. I placed the 3 apples next to the huge vase of flowers and did this 8x8. I did use a really big brush though ;) It's great to be home!

Last Post Until Next Week

No one at the pool ;) except moi

The Studio late this afternoon

The prop department

The Studio this morning

We're among the last of the 'Snowbirds" to leave Naples. It's very quiet at the pool and the beach. Today I packed up the Studio and got some stuff in the car for our trip home. The weather continues to be very dry here with cool breezes off the Gulf making temps in the low 90's, seem quite a bit cooler than that. We leave reluctantly, but will welcome the brisk ocean air and pounding surf at our home by the beach. And we'll put our fleece back on ;) Blast off is Friday AM and touchdown is Sunday afternoon in time to watch the Sox :D In the meantime check out Edward Burton a fellow blogger and fine artist who bestowed a bloggie award on me recently. So many wonderful art blogs, so little time.

Twins

I picked up these little glass cube candle holders at the Flea Market while Don was otherwise occupied ;) He has a 6th sense about my shopping for 'props' and tries to head off some of my purchases with, "do you really need that?". The answer? "Of course, I do."

Carol's Apples

I have to give a nod to the Maestro herself for this one. This is my version of a painting Carol did in class. I set up the same apples and background and painted it step by step as she did in her demo. I did premix some colors in the beginning which helped tremendously with the process and I didn't fuss with the brushwork. I hope I put some of myself into it too. Tomorrow, I'll post the apple exercise I did in her class along with the finished version of that one. Quite a difference.

Spider Mums and Tomato study

I picked up some fresh mums at Publix this week. These flowers are especially hard to portray. Having already done one of these, I thought it would come together better. Not. I photographed it in gray scale at an earlier stage in the painting to assess the values. I'm not done with this subject matter, yet. This week was more of a learning curve with the paintings. The beach was wonderful, though;)

Tomato Surprise 4x4

Here's a shot of a little painting of tomatoes, I did today, just to get a basic painting down. I've had several wipe-outs (paintings) over the past few days while trying to paint the Mums and decided that it would be more productive to go to the pool ;P

Spider Mums and Red Parasol study

I started this painting Saturday and am sticking to Carol Marine's method here. Choose a color scheme from the color wheel. Decide on a value pattern using the rule of thirds and above all, one brush stroke at a time. I know I've heard this countless times but her work shows that less is more. I'm going for economy of brushwork.There are some good spots in this but the background may be too broken up. I always have some White Spider Mums in my house. I love them.

Ibises

My husband likes it still, which means I haven't killed it. Believe me, he'll tell me if I have, and for that I'm grateful.

Three Against One

This is my value block in from Carol's Workshop. I added color and then I added some more color! I also finished the Ibis painting last night and will photograph it today. My hubby still likes it, which is good ;) We'll see what everyone else thinks.

Ibises

These beautiful white Ibises are regular morning visitors. Usually there are a dozen or so at a time and they roam slowly along the streets and yards pecking at the ground. I'm trying here, to get a sense of the white birds against the dark marshy background. My husband thinks I should stop but I see some areas of the design that aren't strong enough and the birds need a few more light strokes. In case you wonder, I've been lying around the pool for the past several days. I know I can't really get a tan in Massachusetts so I'd better get one while I can ;)

Fuchsia Carnation Study

SOLD

Carol made a brilliant observation about going to the color wheel (she prefers the Munsell system) and selecting the palette you want to work with before you begin. In my book, that would help save me some time choosing my still life objects and my background. If only, it were that easy. I was going for the red/green compliment but on this dark background (black felt) I was a bit uncertain as to what color to use in the shadow and what color to use to indicate the light falling on the ground nearest the bottom right of the vase. I like the drawing and the division of values, but I think I have not used enough 'grays'. To keep the lightest lights in this, I wiped them out with a q-tip and turps.

Yellow Flower

I hesitate to post this but I feel brave. The first shot is the start I did in Carol's workshop and the second shot is the one from today, where I tried to bring it to some kind of finish (futzed with it..more like) I think I'll just start over ;)

On Pins and Needles

Having a great finished painting is not the point of a workshop and anyone who goes away from one disappointed at not having a piece they can sell, is missing the point. I kept two of my value studies to prop in my studio and look at, so I can remember the particular points I made in my last post. Like, the elements that you tend to forget in the excitement of trying to capture your vision. The work. If you map it out, you have a better chance at getting it. If you plunge into it without a plan, it probably won't work.