Friends with Great Still Life Props

Having friends who are also artists, who are also still life painters and who also have great still life props to share (and even give away at times) is one of life's blessings. Thank you Janet! Getting inspired by objects can really push me to paint. I just spent the day in Manhattan going to a NY Artist Circle meeting, then galleries in Chelsea and shopped in flower district for artificial flowers for myself and my classes. Hope to use them soon. Fun day, a bit cold but lots of sunshine.
"Pink Creamer and Apples" is 2 1/2 by 3 3/4 inches, oil on board, POR

Sunflowers; Petals in Shadow

The thing I think of most ie, the thing that is going to make or break the painting for me is the color of the petals in shadow. This color is going to be affected by surrounding colors and needs to be quiet but beautiful. Getting the correct value and temperature took some experimentation and time. I usually work it out on my white freezer wrap paper and have a few tones to choose from before I commit it to the board. This painting is 3 3/4 by 2 1/2 inches, oil on board, POR

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are definitely a favorite of mine. Maybe it's cause of Van Gogh and all his paintings and letters. If you've never read his letters to his brother Theo you're in for a treat. The painting 3 3/4 inches by 2 1/2 inches and are oil on board. POR

Desperately Seeking Edge

I redid the set up for three reasons: one, to try a different paper (this is Winsor Newton 140 lb and the other one was Reeves water board) two, to try a vertical composition and three to get the edge of the blue vase to squish out onto the white pitcher। I wasn't sure whether I should have gone for another spot of the same squishiness. Leaving it the only spot names it as the center of interest. The flat brushstroke of orange going from the cup onto the pitcher also points to the center of interest. I like the contrast.
#wc0802, 4.75 x 3.5 POR

Vertical Version

There was paint left over and I thought the composition would look better as a vertical so here it is. There's always something to learn by doing it again as well. And there's a comfort level that's different as well. I was a bit more daring where the orange reflects onto the tabletop. Looking at them side by side there are things in each of them that I like. This painting is 3 3/4by 2 1/2 inches, oil on board, POR

New Addition to "My Cup Runneth Over" Series

I "found" this cup in my collection of still life objects. I've been on a cleaning/reorganization kick and was rummaging in my cabinet. Now it makes me think I was getting too dependent on the yellow cup I was using for the past year or so. I want to go shopping for more cups.
This is 2 1/2 by 3 3/8 inches, oil on board, POR

John Carlson

This is one of the painting demonstations in my book, Big Art, Small Canvas. I was looking at his paintings and got inspired to do a landscape from memory. I love Carlson's landscapes. And since I've spent a lot of time in the same place he did; Woodstock, NY I can relate. He painted mainly during the winter because of his teaching schedule at The Woodstock School of Art which was during the summer. I find I get much more work done in the winter as well since the summer activities of swimming is so alluring to me being a double Pisces. His book on landscape painting is fabulous- Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting. This painting is 3 3/4 by 2 1/2 inches, oil on board, POR

Watercolor

I did this with the blue/orange palette. This watercolor is 4x4 inches on paper , POR

Manet's signature element

I remember going to The Metropolitan Museum of Art awhile ago and either reading or listening to a recording that Manet used a flower in the lower part of his paintings quite often.
They referred to it as his signature element। I like that. For me, the bud serves as a compositional element to lead the viewer's eye into the picture. I have used this artificial flower many many times in my small paintings. It's just the right thing.
This painting is 3 3/4 inches by 2 1/2 inches, oil on board, POR