Seashells in the Dead of Winter

This was a series of limited palette 6x6 daily paintings done in the January cold.  Two shells and a rock. I enjoyed the smooth surface of the gesso board and the quickness of the study.  I tried it several times and completed the top version to my satisfaction.  

LEMONS # 2 AND #3

I thought after my first lemon attempt, I would continue to paint a few more.  Not only did I have all the paints mixed up, but I rarely work with yellow!  I also rarely work with fruit!  So it was a great exercise.  I appreciated how the different ground on the canvas really makes a difference.

My second attempt, below was on a salmon colored board. I aborted that attempt as I just didn't like the colors.  For the third attempt above, I went back to a sepia toned canvas, changed the arrangement and threw some blueberries in.  I am attempting to stay loose and not get caught up in the details!  It is a challenge when you are used to focusing on small details on a face!

I just finished this pastel commission.  I so enjoyed painting this darling, bright eyed child.  

#1 Lemons

After focusing on pastel portraits for the past half year- all from photographs,  I want to dig back in to oils.  And I want to begin again painting from life - Ala Prima!  So out came some lemons and a cutting board.  Was it ever fun!  I am rusty for sure but I hope to continue with these studies!

Jo Jo

This little sweetie flashed on the home screen of my friend at work every day. Each time I was drawn into her bright, joyful,  inquisitive eyes!  Finally, one day I announced that I must paint her!  I hadn't done a portrait commission in a while so it was time to jump in again.   I was happy to give it to her daughter as a gift for giving me the pleasure of painting her!

Sun Lit Path

I enjoyed being very loose with this small pastel. 

Happy Flower

I had wanted to play around with a palette knife for some time.  My friend and I set up a still life of this little happy yellow flower one day in the studio and then went at it with the palette knife.  It was fun.  I like the sculptural quality.  As a happy ending, the painting sold at my annual Open Studios in November.

Almost Ready to Open

And here is my painting from today.  I decided that it is not fair for me to only post the paintings that I feel are somewhat successful.  I feel that I should post even the ones that don't work out so well, because there is something to be learned from every painting.

This is an example of a clunker!  I again was working in pastel.  This is a cute little restaurant in Door County Wisconsin.  They were just opening up and this man was busy sweeping up the side walk getting ready for the day.  It was the subject of a painting demo done by the instructor of my Plein Air workshop last summer.  (The instructor Tim Horn is a fabulous painter.  You can check out his website here: http://www.timhornart.com/ )

On this one, I worked just a bit too fast!  I lost some of the quality of the drawing in my haste to have fun with the color!   When I went back in to try and correct some lines, particularly with the Coca Cola sign, I found that I had so much pastel on the paper that it stopped taking new color.  I also tried to capture the sense of the plastic eisenglass curtain that was hanging on the porch.  I think I could do better! Oh well, ya win some and ya lose some!

I am definitely going to try this again because it brings back very happy memories and I love all the bright red!