Ode to the Orchid

Last summer, I put my orchids outside and forgot them - and of course, they were not happy and within one day, got a sunburn and went limp. I felt guilty and tried to nurture them back to health to no avail. So this week, I bought new ones, and with great reverance to this delicate flower, painted them. Their stems are longer but I thought the leaves balance out the empty corner.

Dots

Something different for today - just for fun.

Yes, it is an albino pear - pure white - and is plastic!

Shapes

Mary and I focused today again on shapes and ellipses - and we struggled with them again. One side seems good and the other side is lower, wider, crooked, shorter or something. To get the right shape is such a test of the drawing skills. So I am going to spend some time drawing.

Squeezed

Well this was a challenge - the peppers are so curvaceous and shiny and very red. They are long peppers from Spain that I found at Costco this week. From a distance, they seem to look like carrots.

A Copy

I just read that it is a great learning tool to copy others, so I promptly copied one of Carol Marine's recent paintings. She paints with such big, confident, no fuss strokes and has the most interesting compositions. I just had to try it. It was done quickly and on a canvas that is 2 inches wider than hers, hence one extra slice. It was fascinating to get into the thinking process of how this goes.

ps have done some adjustments to "Red Rules"

The Three Wise Ones

From too many hard edges, I now have nearly too many soft edges. And it seems like I have seen this composition before but these are my Bosc pears on a glass surface.

Red Rules

Here is an update after some adjustments. Have had some helpful input.
The background has been darkened which brings out the apples stronger, the reflections toned down, and added some texture to the bowl, since it is a beautiful bird's-eye maple bowl that my brother-in-law made.

So I was playing with edges and greying and such interesting things. Now that I look at it, the reflections seem a bit too strong. It is a glass surface. And an edge on the middle apple's shadow might be too pronounced. Will post for now.

Hot Toddy

Mary and I painted today. We set up this still life and then got into discussion about drawing ellipses - which were evading us slightly. One millimeter can make such a difference in whether it looks right or so very off. And I used a palette knife for some of the very straight lines - works well.
The mug and lemons reminded me of making hot toddies on a cold winter's night.

Marcio's Porch

Have been away today and so decided to post something from this summer.

Practice Quadrants

Today I was reading about edges and tried out some ideas from others. Spent more time watching the Inauguration than painting - was well worth it.

January Moon

Full Moon in Cancer during Capricorn - female/male and subjective/objective harmony and balance. And it was crisp, clear and COLD. I saw this at 6:00 am when the moon was very high in the sky and therefore the scene was quite expansive. That made it hard to fit it on such a small canvas. It is the driveway that I have painted before, from further back, minus one tree for those who know. Can you feel the cold?

The One Mug

Mary came to paint today, and it is always such an enriching experience to share the process. We discussed our way through the highlights and the mistakes. There seems to be a bit of a tilt, amazing how that happens! I am increasingly aware of how important it is to have good drawing basics.

Birthday Bouquet

Getting flowers in January is such a pleasure! My intent was to capture the essence of the assortment without getting too detailed. And I finally figured out a simpler way to photograph and size, therefore re-posted "The Driveway in Winter".

The Driveway in Winter

Plein air has its limitations. It is a bitter -19 celsius degrees today with the wind chill, so I painted indoors this afternoon from the window. When I finished, the snow turned orange with light of the setting sun.

Snowman Sugarpot

A crazy little sugar pot that has been around for many winters. Maybe it needs a darker background..... updated.... darker yet?

Ahoy!

There was a stack of four plates, and somehow I missed one along the way. Just happy to have managed a painting today.

A Pair of Pears

Today Mary came by for a visit and gave me some very helpful critiques. It always is fun to share the journey. We talked about cropping - what, when, where, why - and afterwards I painted these pears, and cropped the plate.

Snuggled

Must admit, I prefer painting colourfully - and would think it necessary in our overcast wintery north country.

Mexican Jug

A colourful start on a gray and cold January day - thoughts of Mexico! This was a lot of fun to paint and because the handpainted creamer is slightly irregular, it was also less stress!

Simplicity

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a fantastic 2009. My desire was to start off the new year with something to post - and this candle represents simplicity and yet light, warmth, life and fullness. May we all stay focused on our intentions!