Day One Hundred-Ten

                              'Buffy's Favorite Ingredient'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     Boy, I could really smell these while I was painting.   I had a big party last night. (my good friend just retired from teaching 35 years)  In the middle of the night I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep (not an uncommon occurrence).  I crept downstairs and painted these..... I kinda like the simplicity of the group   I wanted to keep the background more subdued this time.... My daughter loves to cook with these, and adds them to most veggie dishes, it seems !  They say that garlic is very beneficial for good health.

Day One Hundred-Nine

                                         'Two's Company'

8 x 8 oil on stretched canvas

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     This time I tried the orange wedges by themself  (no knife), and I like that look.   The plate really was plain, though, and I guess it lacked interest a bit.  It's also quite a bit softer than the other painting.  Maybe I'll try again and change the blue to violet or teal....Color is so much fun !

Day One Hundred-Eight

                                           'Surrounded'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I found this cute pitcher, and again, I couldn't resist.   (I don't even look for the sugar bowls, I don't know if this had one or not)  Well, I loved the color, it seems as if it's from the 1970's or earlier, and I also loved the cool squared off shape.  I thought the color would go nicely with my shiny red pink lady apples. I always ask my daughter's opinion on paintings if she's around at the time.  She wants to see more of a connection between the elements in the paintings, and I know she's right.  Tracey's a photographer and has a particularly good eye for composition, so I value her suggestions on such things....The pitcher and apples are not 2 things that would relate so much... Oh, well, I'll have to spend more time on thinking about that too !!!

Day One Hundred-Seven

                                                        'Oranges on Orange'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I haven't done oranges before, but watching other painters do them has made me interested.... I also like the way I have seen them cut into wedges... Anyway, I got these started last night, and this morning I started looking for darks and lights, and debated with myself as to whether or not to put the pattern on the plate. (it was solid white, with only the shadows added)  So I thought, "what the heck"  I'll add the pattern, because the plate was rather boring without it.  I did it, and was pleased with the effect.   Sometimes I seem to bite off more than I can chew... anybody else do that ?

Day One Hundred-Six

                                       'Two Apples a Day'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     Pink Ladies have these fabulous red skins.  The highlights are so visible that they are fun to paint, so I always really shine them up...  I added the blue color to make it interesting.  It's good to have these on hand to paint, because then maybe we'll eat an apple for a snack instead of another Christmas cookie !
   

Day One Hundred-Five

                                     'My Favorite Mug'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     My favorite mug says ART as you can see, but I'm pretty sure it was meant for some guy named Art... oh, well, I like it better than all my others.  The coffeecake was a home-made apple one that my daughter made for Christmas morning.  Such good accompaniment for my 'studio snack'-  I went to set up and found myself wanting to paint my snack instead of eating it.... Now I can dig into that coffeecake !! walnuts, too... yum

Day One Hundred-Four

                                                   'Merry Christmas to All'

6 x 8  oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     This little guy was a salt (or pepper) shaker...  I'm sure he would want to stand on his soapbox and declare it a Merry Christmas to all the art bloggers and the ones who are out there appreciating art as well.   Hope that all of you have a healthy and happy Christmas with family and friends !

Day One Hundred-Three

                                                   'Sour Company'

6 x 6 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     Thought I'd experiment with the smaller canvas this time.  I kinda like the simplicity of this one.  The idea, shapes,and colors are limited.  It was challenging to find enough contrast, so I made sure the shadows in the bowl were plenty dark...

Day One Hundred-Two

                                     'Cream of the Crop'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I love these colors together.  The little cream pitcher was an antique find while on vacation in Alabama.  It just seems I can't pass up a cute cream pitcher... go figure... I guess it's the shape, and the asymmetrical aspect of it that gets to me.  Well, this one had the color going for it too !  And I don't even drink cream in my coffee !

Day One Hundred-One

                                                         'Over Easy Please'

8 x 8 oil on panel

   nfs

     I've been wanting to try this, knowing it was going to be challenging.  IT WAS !   The colors are so subtle, and the edges so soft.   I know the highlights look too big, but that's what they looked like... maybe because the bowl was close to the light source.  Anyway, I'll try it again, but for this time they're nfs.  If I don't get another one done today then I'll post this for tomorrow...   (still have some last minute shopping to finish, plus both cars need stuff done)   I will try this again... Carol Marine makes it look so easy-- ha !!!

Day One Hundred !!

                                                            'Pear Twosome'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     Day 100 already.  Time flies, but then it seems as if I've just begun.  Trying to come up with new ideas is challenging, but the painting part if still really, Really, fun !  Hope I can continue for a long time at this, and learn as I go.   --- here's to the next 100 paintings ! ---

Day Ninety-Nine

                                          'Florida Conch'

7 x 8 1/2 oil on masonite

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     This is the shell I bought for $5. at a garage sale.   It was $75. when the woman purchased it in Florida many years ago... I love the sculptural quality and coloring.   The newer ones apparently have a hole in them, but this older one doesn't.   I worked on a smoother surface than I usually do ( I found some masonite pieces at another sale)   I think I like the canvas surface better.   I guess it's all what you get used to.

Day Ninety-Eight

                                                'Pear Parade'

10 v 14 oil on panel

70.00 + s + h    (HOLD)

     This one wouldn't all fit on the scanner, but I probably want to touch it up a bit, anyway.  The baby girls spent the night, and finding time to paint before I got this posted was next to impossible, so I posted it anyway.   After naptime we are going to take Grace to the Nutcracker- live performance in a very intimate, small, auditorium... looking forward to her reaction.  (She's 3 and a half)

Day Ninety-Seven

                                                            'Tea with lemon'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I just couldn't help adding the purple paper.... sorry.   Spent the day with grandbaby girls and most of the rest of the day cleaning the studio.   Got loads of paper to recycle, and even managed to part with some keepsake treasures that I didn't think I could live without !
     Finished the painting this morning, early, after starting on it last night ! whew !

Day Ninety-Six

                                             'Pucker Up'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I made a new recipe last week, and had to go out and buy lemons.  (It had chicken, lots of lemons, and was very easy... just baked in the oven)  Anyhoo, I've been thinking I wanted to paint some, too, so I picked up some yesterday.  During the ride home, I talked to a friend on the phone ( I know, I really try hard not to talk and drive) but, it was funny, because she said,"Why don't you paint some lemons?"..I told her that was what I was planning to do ! ha !
     Also, I have a good friend that has a passion for lemons in her tea...   She loves lemons a lot, too !  She can't drink iced tea without about 3 lemons in it.  
     This blue bowl was the creation of a wonderful potter that lives in Illinois.   His daughter is a teacher at the school where I used to teach.   We used to go annually to his pottery sales out in the country.   His cobalt blue pieces were my favorite.  This bowl has an unusual shape, thrown on the wheel and then modeled into a squareish shape.... very cool.

Day Ninety-Five

                                                  'Tangerine, Embellished'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

    All of the altered art examples refer to stuff being 'embellished'.. well, the reason I picked these various tangerines was for their stems.   It seemed as if every single one of them at Whole Foods had a stem... so cool...  I think they taste pretty great, too.   He's actually much bigger than life on the canvas, but just something different to try for a change.

Day Ninety-Four

                                    'Nostalgic Collection'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I wonder if this one was worth the trouble.  I think sometimes the quicker ones are the best paintings.  This one I worked on for two days, but it seems overworked, and staged, somehow.   Anyway, this painting is the one I started but didn't finish, and I finished it tonight before dinner.  Hopefully this one is believable.   I set the antique piggy bank on some very old children's blocks. I've painted him before,  (day-sixty-four) but I'm not sure I like him as well.      Every day I try hard to come up a still life that is unique, and tells a certain story. 

     Sometimes you just have to GO with what your have.... what do you think??

     My hardest challenge is arrangement of the elements in the painting.  The painting part is easy - if you have the setup right !!     

Day Ninety-Three

                                      'Three shiny ladies'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I started a painting after dinner. It was WAY too involved and loads of details.  I was sitting in the very cold basement studio, and my back was killing me, too.  I took a break, just to stretch and move around a bit, and went upstairs to warm up.  I then decided that --it just wasn't going to work, at least Not right Now-- I decided to grab a few pink ladies and shine them up, and see what I could do with them.  (I love pink ladies, don't you?)  Well, before you know it, I had a painting... and I like it, too.
     Tomorrow I'll finish my other one, which was just a bit too ambitious for the cold, and the late hour of the day ! 

Day Ninety-Two

                                                   'Lonely white pumpkin'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

      Boy is plein air challenging.  I went to the studio and found this pumpkins exactly as you see him here.  He was on a little old wooden shelf that I bought to store things on, and the light was coming in Just Right !
     I knew that I had to work fast, and I SO wanted to capture the shadow, etc.  I sketched it out, and as I started the colors began to change.  The shadow completely disappeared, and the contrast of light and dark kept rearranging itself before my eyes.   The sun came back several times, to give me a little hope that it would work.  I'm not sure if I missed some highlights on the pumpkin.  I guess I could cheat and add a few in spots that seem feasible.... is that cheating?  Anyway, controlling your light is so essential !   I always realized this, but til today it wasn't so obvious WHY you do.   It was fun racing against the sun to capture the image, though.  I'm afraid the little guy is past his prime, so it will be a no pumpkin zone until next fall !

Day Ninety-One

                                                               'Tea for One'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=KW9CEMMKCTD5W

     I didn't have much time to paint, since I was gone most of the day, and then I fixed dinner for the fam.   I went into the studio and told myself I had to get a painting to post...   I set up and using only 3 brushes (I usually use a LOT more)  I told myself, "just suggest" the objects... limit the details... so that's what I did.
     I finished this one in about an hour and a half, again just suggesting the teapot, the cup,and the teabag.  I did like the colors of it, and was happy with the outcome.

Day Ninety...

                                        'Radish Revival'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     Called radish revival, because I remember painting radishes in the 70's.... Anyhoo, I started these in the early morning, then left them and watched my sweet grand daughter for the majority of the day.  When I returned the leaves were totally wilted and uninspiring, to say the least.  I thought, well, I'll try to recoup the painting because I need a post for tomorrow... so what the heck... I almost thought I'd wipe it, but then I just kept going.   I'm glad I stuck it out, because I'm pretty pleased with the overall result.

Day Eighty-Nine

                                                                       'Pears'  

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

      I tried the pears again, this time in a bowl.  The bowl is challenging, as was the arrangement of the fruit.     I returned to finish this after dinner and discovered that I could be freer without my glasses on, because I could only see shapes vaguely.  Sounds crazy, I know, but it's kinda like squinting.  It lets you stay generally looser because you can't contentrate on the details so much.  I then put my glasses on and touched up the stems a bit.   live and learn !
     Still very wet, I put this on the scanner balanced on two strips of matboard, so it wouldn't get paint on the scanner glass ! ha !-- We ate the artichokes for dinner-- yummy !

Day Eighty-Eight

                                                              'Bowl of Chokes'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     Tired of the artichokes yet?   Well, I am.   I just had to attempt this glass bowl, and see if I could pull it off.   The secret was to put in the lighter color on the rim last night, and then to let it set over night and add the darks this morning... Hope it's convincing...

Day Eighty-Seven

                                                'Artie chokes two for a dollar'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     That's the punch line of an old joke my husband used to tell.  It's a really stupid one, but every now and then he'll throw it into the conversation.... go figure.     I tried to put the stroke of color down, and then NOT go over it... It was hard, because of the shapes and the way they fit together...I think I'm getting better at it, though. 

      I love to cook these, too, but they take at least 40 minutes to boil, and they have to be in a pretty big pot.   I'll just stick with painting them for now. ( although they are really good just dipped in a little mayo)

Day Eighty-Six

                                                                    'Artichoke'

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     These artichokes are fun to paint, but boy, they have a lot going on!  The shapes kinda fit together like a puzzle.  I tried to get a bit of unexpected color going, but it was difficult to see that the darks have purple in them.

Day Eighty-Five

                                                          'Apples Squared'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     These apples were multi-colored with bits of yellow in the red.  I've had them for awhile, and I was afraid they were going to go bad, so I thought I'd better paint them quick !  I like the green background on this one.

Day Eighty-Four

                                   'Mary Janes for Katie'

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I found these cute little patent leather shoes for grand baby Katie.  She's two now and her personality is really coming through !  These are the same shoes that we wore when I was little...

Day Eighty-Three

                                         'Arkansas Find'

6 x 8  oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     The Farmer's Market at the town square in Fayetteville is so much fun.  I've been there 3 or 4 times now, and it's always so much fun.   This time I got turnips, some organic apples,  a great gray-green looking pumpkin, and a beautiful dark red orange thing, like a little squash, to paint.  This little two-toned guy had a great stem, so I had to buy him !

Thanks to all who attended the Art Show Opening at Norton Gallery last evening.  It was a great turnout. I appreciate your support. 

Day Eighty-Two

                                                                          'Pears'

SOLD

6 x 8 oil on panel

40.00 + 6.00 s + h

     I love the red colorings on some of the pears.  When I buy them I always look for the best colored ones.

Day Eighty-One

                                                        'Certified Organic'

SOLD

8 x 8 oil on panel

50.00 + 6.00 s + h

     How many of you remember when tomatoes tasted just 'wonderful' right from the garden?  They were always my mom's favorite.  She would pick a couple, wash them, salt them, and eat them as her lunch.  They would still be warm from the summer sun... good memories....they were all organic then !

Day Eighty... whew !!

                                                          'Pink and Green'

10 x 14 oil on panel

 60.00 + 6.00 s + h

 This one wouldn't quite fit onto the scanner, because I used an 10 x 14 panel.  I've had this little pitcher for awhile now, and can't seem to part with it.  I love the shape and form.