Still Life Painting White Bowl and Cherries

White Bowl and Cherries 12 x 12 oil on canvas

Oil Painting Still Life with Three Cherries

"Three Cherries" 5 x 7oil on canvas panel

These are very pretty cherries. I like them so much better then the dark red ones. Not to eat, but to paint! They have much more color, red,orange,pink, purple, yellow!  

still life painting Mango

Mango 6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

Still Life Oil Painting with White Pitcher and Green Apple

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel "White Pitcher and Green Apple"  

 My husband David bought me a bouquet of beautiful tulips just to show me spring is really here. (Yes, he is a sweetie.) So what if we get a little snow tomorrow. Snow Shmoe! I got my tulips and I'm holding on tight. They will be in some paintings and when I'm finished we can all go to the beach! Yippee!...but for now, have an apple.

Still Life Painting with Water Bottle and Apple

"Natures Bounty" 6x6 oil on canvas panel

Last week I set up a still life for my students to paint. It was a water bottle and an apple. They would have none of it! They revolted, put up a fight, some tantrums, kicking and screaming, it was mayhem I tell you. What is it with students these days? Where's the respect? Where is the "Yes Master, that is a lovely still life." (I call them grasshopper and they call me master, you know like the  Kung Fu show from the 70's) Well , of course they got their way and I removed the water bottle and gave them a pretty white pitcher. They always win. I always give in to their antics!  :)

I painted the water bottle in hopes that they will see that the water bottle is really as nice and maybe more interesting then the pretty white pitcher. It's not so much what it is but what you see when you look at it. So I will leave you with a quote from a wonderful painter, a true master. 

"We must teach ourselves to see the beauty of the ugly, to see the beauty of the commonplace."

Charles W. Hawthorne  

That's what I think it's all about. This painting stuff!     

Still Life: One Dose of Vitamin C

Well, the apple did not keep the doctor away! Let's try some vitamin C.   

10 minute oranges

This is 8 paintings of an orange I did for the 10 minute Daily Paint Works Challenge these are two 6 x 6 canvas panels. I set a timer for 10 minutes for each sketch. The first one is top left and the last bottom right. What a great excersise this is! Will look forward to doing more. Tomorrow I will have my painting class do this.   

Still Life with Big Red Pomegranate

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

OK, so it's not a large version, shown in the different stages of rendering like I said I was thinking of doing but it is a pomegranate. This was suppose to be posted yesterday, however you know how it goes when you have plans....I do have some great news though, I signed up for a workshop with one of my favorite artists Abbey Ryan . I am so looking forward to it!  Her daily paintings are fabulous, click on her name to check out her blog! 

Still life study Pomegranate with Three Glasses

Yes, again with the pomegranate and glasses. Tomorrow I will start a larger version of the first one I painted with the green glass. I think I will photograph the painting as I go in the different stages to show my process. Might be fun! sometimes one of my kids will see one of my paintings in the beginning stages and they always say the same thing "Mom! what is that?!" they look very skeptical when I explain to them that it is actually going to be a painting of a barn, ocean or maybe even a pomegranate. 

Green Glass with Pomegranate

I spent a whole day photographing glasses with this pomegranate. It was the only thing appealing for painting in the fridge. I ate the radishes, they were beautiful and tasty and the persimmone went bad. Hate when that happens! I have heard artists say this, and I can't help but say the same, what we must look like in the produce department. After a while of looking at the fruit and vegatables I think I need to leave before they remove me. It's crazy. When I buy a lemon for my salad, I grab three and put them in the bag. When I'm buying a lemon to paint, well not just any lemon will do.      

Still Life with Apple

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

Do you think if I paint an apple a day, it would keep the doctor away?  

Still Life Cherry Study

Sold

I know the stems on these cherries are a little odd. They really did look like this, a bit shriveled and in strange positions. I think they were in the fridge too long.  

Still Life: What a Pair

I know my clever title can't be so clever, but it did crack me up. :) I should get out more.  

Still Life: Pear Study

I painted this pear study in preparation for a class I am teaching. So I was able to arrive with my paint mixtures ready for a demo, yes the light was different, however it still worked and saved time. Class is only two hours... :-(  really could use 1 more. My students are WONDERFUL and so eager, I hated to make them stop. I think they would have gone on into the night for sure! The class is a beginner class and the paintings they left with were excellent. I was so happy with what they came away with. I can't wait until next week!    

Still Life: Orange Flowers and Apricots

Ohhh....how I love the color orange. I think it's my favorite, except for all the other colors. And with blue...ya just can't go wrong. I painted this from an old reference photo I had found. I wish I still had the vase, but I got rid of a lot of stuff on a studio cleaning binge. I'm ready for another, however I think I'll be a bit more careful on what I throw out.