Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Blue Cup Two Orange Slices SOLD

I enjoy painting these dark shiny cups and orange slices.  And I especially like the reflection in the shiny cup.  Blue and orange are of course complementary colors, and mixed together they make wonderful grays. 

Friday, June 24, 2011

Orange Slices Green Plate on Lavender

I really like this square green plate. (You may have noticed I've used it before.)  It is so vibrant and really sets off the orange slices.  This painting is done in a triad of secondary colors- orange, purple, and green.  Because the three colors are high key (light in  value) they harmonize rather than clash.  The purple covers more area of the canvas, but the orange is more saturated (intense) and thus the dominant color. 

Monday, June 20, 2011

Kwanzan Cherry Tree in Bloom SOLD

This was painted from a photo of a magnificent Kwanzan cherry tree near the post office.  I took the photo several years ago, late in the afternoon when the sun was peeking through the clouds long enough to light up the cherry blossoms.  I really like that late afternoon glow.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Oregon Coast Near Bandon

I did this painting last year, but decided to rework it last week to make the piece more painterly and to move the distant rocks back.   I have a tendency to use a small brush way too much - so my goal was to allow just a few small strokes in the distant rocks & waves, and to repaint most of the foreground with a few close colors and a large brush. My mantra was "simplify, simplify."

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Silver Bowl Eggplant on Chartreuse

Every now and then I buy these lovely eggplants.  They are small and purple and shiny and hard and have such a lovely shape.  And I usually forget about them until they have started to turn to mush in the refrigerator.  This time, however, I did get them painted first.  And cooked them afterwards, too!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Silver Bowl Limes on Lavender Pink SOLD

"Lavenders and Greens love each other." I'm quoting Edgar Whitney from a watercolor workshop I took, oh, quite a few years ago.    I've made most of the painting lavender pink but balanced that with a small area of very saturated lime.  I surely do like the pink color in the reflection.  It's just a little darker and a little more neutralized than the tablecloth color.