Summer Tree--Original Landscape Oil Painting

I'm longing for warm weather and looking forward to a new year. I love the long shadows and brilliant contrasts that are created by bright sunlight. This little 5x7 inch oil painting was fun to create on a recycled board and reminds me of the warmth that is coming in a few months. What I like about working on recycled boards it the texture and color of the underpainting. Both create unexpected delights when painting something new. In this particular case, a blue-gray underpainting worked quite well in contrast to the warmth of the new painting. When it is dry, I will put it in my Etsy Gallery along with other small tree paintings.

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Winter on the Lake--Original Landscape Oil Painting

The weather today was gray and cold--typical winter weather. It is sometimes hard get inspired to paint landscapes when everything has a drab overcast, but I was able to work through it today by using up my left over paint. When I clean my palette, I scrape all the little bits of left over paint to one corner. Mixed together, those little bits will usually produce some shade of gray. Today's little 5x7 inch oil painting was made from those little scraped off bits. I mixed some fresh ultramarine with sap green to get the darks and added some white to create some lighter mixtures, but the majority of this painting is made from left over paint. It was wonderful practice with values. I used up all my left over paint which made me feel pretty good on a gray, overcast day in the middle of winter.

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Green Eyes--American Cat Portrait

Yesterday it was dog painting; today it is a cat. Painting the eyes is the part that is the most fun on both animals, but it is the cat's eyes that I find especially beautiful. I start with the eyes and everything else seems secondary--something to add to make it look like a cat or a dog. When I was really young, my family owned cats, but my daughter has a terrible cat allergy, so we haven't been able to add a cat to the family. This painting is 5x7 inches and was painted in oils on a black gessoed MDF hardboard panel.

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Guilty or Not Guilty? Original American Dog Portrait

I've been dog sitting this weekend--gotta love 'em. Although this isn't the dog I spent my weekend with, this one is definitely of the kind that gets into mischief. He is 5x7 inches on a gessoed MDF hardboard panel. When he is dry, I will list him for sale in my Etsy Gallery.

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Just a Pear--Original Small Format Oil Painting

Back at work after the holidays. Though this little painting looks quite simple, it was a challenge because of the perspective. As you know, I often paint apples from this perspective, but pears present an interesting opportunity to model the shape. Looking at the perimeter, it is the same shape as the apple. It is the shading that makes it become a pear. To get the shadows in just the right place, I had to squint carefully and translate the shading carefully, or I would end up with another apple. The painting is 5x7 inches in oil on gessoed MDF hardboard.

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Poinsettia--Original Floral Oil Painting

Happy Holidays! Today's painting is a 16x20 inch oil painting I created several years ago. It seemed fitting for today's posting. I am ready to take a break from my studio related work for a few days and enjoy family and friends. Finishing and submitting a new gallery at 1000 Markets is the conclusion of my business efforts for today. My new gallery is called Impressions Gallery. At this point all that is visible is my banner and avitar. When my work goes live, I will post a notice and you will be able to view what I've been working on for the past week. In the meantime, I hope all my readers have a lovely holiday.

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Glazing--Grapes in Progress

It felt good to be back in my studio today. Though I seldom post an unfinished painting, today I have made an exception. I used to do a lot of glazing and had an urged to do it again. This 16x20 inch canvas shows the first layer on this still life painting. The frustration with glazing in oils is that it takes so long to finish a painting. It will be at least a week before I can work on this again. The first layer needs to dry before another layer can be added. Working with transparent color is what gives the finished product a beautiful glow. Gamblin sells a good selection of transparent oil paints. My favorite place to purchase my them is Dick Blick. They have great customer service and a wide selection of paints from which to choose. When I finally finish this painting, I will post the finished product, but be patient. With several layers involved, it will be weeks before it is finished.

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New Gallery--Hard Work--Preparing For Spring

Painting didn't happen today. It makes me sad when I can't be slapping some paint around, but I was working hard on a new venture. My new venture is preparing a new shop at 1000 Markets. I will still maintain my Etsy Gallery, but felt a desire to branch out to a new venue. Etsy has been a productive outlet for my small format paintings, and I will continue to list small paintings there, but at 1000 Markets, my plan is to list some of my larger paintngs. As soon as my new gallery is ready to launch, I will post a link in a blog post and in the right column. In the meantime, a sneak preview is posted above.

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Puppy Love--Australian Shepherd Puppy Portrait

Here he is, the newest member of our family. Chaco, with one blue eye and one green eye, has charmed his way into everyone's graces. He loves to play, romp, sleep, and chew on things he shouldn't. My daughter wants me to contact Akilah Australian Shepherds and find a second puppy to keep him company--not sure that will be happening any time soon. This portrait is an 8x10 inch oil painting on a gessoed hardboard.

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Apple Fiesta--Original Still Life Oil Painting

Around the holidays, it seems I am always taking appetizers one place or another. This colorful little plate looked just right for a festive occasion when I bought it the other day at a second-hand shop. After I got home, I couldn't resist putting some of its color into a painting. This still life oil painting is on a 9x12 inch stretched canvas.

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Bananas--Original Still Life Oil Painting

With a snowstorm in progress, I felt like painting something sunny. A bright yellow bunch of bananas caught my eye. Since I prefer still life work with a slightly abstract perspective, I chose not to paint the entire bunch, but just the ends. All those shades of yellow and the bruises on their skin gave me a good little challenge. After it's dry, this painting will be sold in my Etsy Gallery in January or February.

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Autumn Tree Study--Original Landscape Tree Painting

This little autumn scene only exists in my memory. The golden leaves of fall have been replaced by damp, cold, snow and drizzle. I always enjoy painting with warm, golden color, and this 5x7 inch study was no exception. As with most of my paintings, it was completed in oils. In January, I will begin adding some new paintings to my Etsy Gallery and removing some that have been sitting on the shelf for a while; this painting will probably be a new addition after the first of the year.

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Golden Delicious--Original Still Life Oil Painting

Today's effort is another little 5x7 inch oil painting practice. I was working on shadows, highlights, and loose brush strokes. The fleeting winter light that wandered through my studio window enticed me to develop this abstract view of these three little apples. I will eventually list this in my Etsy Gallery along with some of my other small fruit paintings.

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Yellow Brilliance--Original Landscape Oil Painting

This painting was really fun to create. Working with brilliant colors--Veridian, Ultramarine Blue, Napthol Red, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cad Yellow, Cad Lemon Yellow, and just a touch of white--was great! I'm always contemplating whether these little 5x7 inch studies will translate well into a larger painting. Although I'm not sure that this one will, the brilliant colors would make the effort pleasurable.

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Tomato Slices -- American Still Life Oil Painting

Because it snowed today, I wanted to paint something bright and cheery. What could be more cheery than a plate of bright red tomato slices? This painting is 9x12 inches on stretched canvas. It has been a while since I' ve painted on canvas, so it was a pleasant experience. Usually I paint on gessoed hardboard panels. Painting the quirky centers of the tomato slices was espcially fun. Keeping the plate round was a bit of a challenge as well as imitating the decorative pattern around its perimeter. My favorite part of this painting is tomato in the upper left corner. It is so round and ripe and reminicent of summer sweet summer fruit.

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Sunflowers--Original Small Still Life Oil Painting

Flowers are not a subject I paint often, but the rainy weather of December made this trio of sunflowers a most tempting subject. I wasn't sure if success would come because I seldom paint flowers, but I'm pleased with the results. A dark background sets of the brilliance of the yellow petals quite well. I used Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Lemon Yellow, and Transparent Orange to create the thick impasto of the petals. I'm almost tempted to try another flower painting, but I'll have to think hard on that temptation. This painting is 5x7 inches on a gessoed hardboad panel. When it dries, I will list it for sale in my Etsy Gallery.

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October--Original Landscape Oil Painting

This is a 24x30 inch oil painting that I recently finished. It is based on a smaller 5x7 inch study I painted a few weeks ago. Translating a successful small painting to a larger scale doesn't always work well, but I'm fairly pleased with this attempt. I liked the sparkle of the autumn leaves, the texture of the grassland in the foreground, and the contrast of the blue and orange palette. The small 5x7 inch version of this painting is available for sale at my Etsy Gallery and can be purchased here.

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Sky Holes and Grassland--Painting Practice

In this little 5x7 inch oil painting I was working on a couple of different skills. First, the sky holes in trees are always a challenge for me. I tend to make foliage too heavy, so in this effort, I focused on letting the blue sky show through the branches. Though it still isn't executed as I would have liked, it was useful practice. The foreground was also an area on which I concentrated. I began with a Cadmium Yellow Underpainting and then allowed some of it to show through as the grasses were added. Although there are a number of areas where I could criticize this little painting, it was good practice and I enjoyed working with the warm colors of fall.

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Hay Field--Original Miniature Landscape Oil Painting

Taking a little break from my stint at still life painting, I painted this 5x7 inch miniature landscape. It is based on a photograph from a summer in Tennessee and was deemed one of three options for the Wetcanvas December Landscape Challenge. I begin with an underpainting of Napthol Red, one of my favorite reds. Letting the red show through provides a bold contrast to the greens of summer. It will eventually join the other field paintings in my Etsy Gallery.

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Winter Apples--Original Still Life Fruit Painting

This little 5x7 inch oil painting is another of my recent series of fruit paintings. These little studies are all about color, design, and brush strokes. When I choose vibrant complimentary colors, a positive response from my viewers is common. When I pay attention to basic elements of design, especially focal point, I am blessed with kind words. When I apply confident brush strokes and avoid over blending, the results are pleasing. If I could just get these elements right every time I paint, it would please me considerably. Even though it sounds easy, the difficulty of getting all the elements just right is my constant challenge. This painting will be exibited in my Etsy Gallery after it dries. I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I enjoyed painting it. More of my small still life oil paintings are available here.

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Green Apple--Original Still Life Oil Painting

Yesterday afternoon I visited a little fruit stand near my house. They had absolutely gorgeous fruit, cheese, fresh meat, and holiday fudge. I came home with more fruit than I can possibly eat, but I wanted to just look at it and paint the wonderful shapes and colors. This little 5x7 inch apple painting is the result. I painted all afternoon. Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples, a beautiful purple eggplant, and some brilliant green limes all came home with me. When this one dries, I will list it in my Etsy Gallery for sale. My 5x7 inch fruit paintings sell for $50.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses. You can see more little fruit paintings in the fruit section of my Etsy Shop.

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Broccoli on a Red Plate--Original Still Life Oil Painting

Since winter is here, like everyone else, I am inside more and more. I'm also finding myself painting small still life studies again. It has been a long time since I've devoted time to this focus, so I am enjoying getting back to these small studies. A trip to the grocery store this morning resulted in this fresh stem of broccoli. I like the contrast of the green with the bright red of this plate. These bright little studies bring welcomed color into the drab and dreary days of winter. When this 8x10 inch oil painting dries, I'll list it in my Etsy Gallery. My small paintings of fruits and vegetables have been quite popular in the past. These small format paintings brighten up the drab corners of my house and I'm happy to share a little color with my friends.

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In the Shadow of the Mountain--Original Landscape Oil Painting

This 5x7 inch oil painting was completed as one of a series of studies in anticipation of a larger painting. When I finally started on the larger painting, I ended up using another study as my reference. I'll post a photo of the results of my larger painting efforts as soon as I can get it photographed. I still like this one and may end up eventually enlarging it, but I'm getting the itch to paint still life work again. This one will be filed away for future reference or I may list it for sale in my Etsy Shop.

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Lime Face--Original Still Life Oil Painting

This 5x7 inch oil painting makes me laugh. It presents and abstract face or a plate of summer limes, depending on what you prefer. After the nasty weather of winter, I want some summer fun. This little painting provides some laughter and a hint that winter won't last for ever. It is available for purchase in my Etsy Shop for $50.00 plus $6.50 for shipping to US addresses. I hope you enjoy a giggle as you view it. Click here for closeups and purchase details or here for views of my other fruit paintings.

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Longmire Hike--Original American Landscape Oil Painting

This 5x7 inch oil painting was created after a hike at Mount Rainier National Park last summer. Mount Rainier is an extinct volcano in Washington State. The surrounding area was declared a National Park in 1899 by an act of Congress. Longmire, a stopping point on the road up the mountain, has a delightful vintage lodge and a series of hikes as old as the park itself. The Trail of Shadows is a short hike that commences across the street from the Longmire lodge. It meanders through the forest and travels around a delightful meadow. The views are refreshing and there are numerous day hikes in the area. This painting provides a glimpse of the landscape and is listed in my Etsy Gallery. Thumbnail closeups of the brush strokes and purchase information is available here.

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