Zygo Limelight

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I found this Christmas cactus at my local market. The label says, "Zygo Limelight." I was so happy to find it. I lost my two beautiful large plants during the ice storm last winter when the power was out for six days. I looked forward to replacing them this season. I'm not sure why, but there have been very few in the market so I'm very glad to have this one!

Persimmons, Cinnamon Sticks and Cranberries

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I've enjoyed painting these Fuyu persimmons. Here they are with cinnamon sticks and cranberries.

Three Persimmons

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These persimmons were in a basket with a sign that said, "Free - Ripe Persimmons...eat like an apple." I've eaten persimmon cookies, but have never tasted a ripe persimmon. Absolutely delicious! Where have they been all my life?

Jenny's Green Teapot

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This teapot belongs to my daughter. It's quite small and sits on a bookshelf in her livingroom. I notice it every time I visit. I thought it would be fun to paint.

Tea and Scones

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The looseness, color, and vibration created by the old Impressionist painters is awe-inspiring. This afternoon I had fun trying to imitate the brushstrokes I think they may have used in some of those paintings.

Pumpkin Libations

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The Christmas season fast approaches and time for this little pumpkin to retire, but not before one last pumpkin painting.

White Acorn Squash

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Here's a little painting of a white acorn squash for "The Gourd Challenge" on Daily Paintworks. We had it for dinner and it was delicious!

Autumn Blessings

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Autumn colors have their own special beauty. Vibrant, yet muted, they don't overwhelm the senses. I love them.  This painting is a larger version of the one posted earlier.

Autumn Colors

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This was painted a couple of weeks ago, just as the cool days began.

Tea Break

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I enjoy using the fracturing process that was developed by Julie Ford Oliver. It  allows me to create a more free and looser painting, but mostly it's just fun to do.

Three Pears

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This is a change from my usual painting style. I love the look of Julie Ford Oliver paintings, so am experimenting with her fracturing method. I tried this many years ago, and then drifted away from it. It's so much fun to paint this way...why haven't I been fracturing all along?!

Sun Dance

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The last dance of summer. So glad I was able to capture them before they were gone.

Little Cinderella

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Well, hello! I've been away from my easel for quite a long time. Just felt a little flat and uninspired, needed to take a break. I've picked up my brushes again and once again am enjoying the painting process.

This is a miniature white pumpkin. The large white pumpkins in the grocery store were labeled "Cinderella", and I thought "Little Cinderella" fit this little painting. I experimented with the panel surface by adding another couple of coats of gesso to the gessoboard panel. There is a bit of gesso on the back of the panel, but it does not affect the painting.

Good Omens

None of these flowers are from our garden, but I take it as a good sign that they are appearing at our local grocery store. It must mean that spring will be here soon.

Promise

I believe tulips might be my favorite flower. It's still a bit early for tulip blooms in my part of the world, but their green foliage is beginning to poke through the brown earth - it won't be long before they appear. These tulip blooms came from my local market. I love them so because they bring a promise of spring.

Lavender Blue

SOLD

This morning I read that spring has arrived earlier than ever in much of the country. Here in the Pacific Northwest, however, we still contend with rain, sleet, and cold dreary weather. On the up side, there are some harbingers of spring. Crocuses and tulips are beginning to pop up everywhere, and we're seeing more birds sampling the seeds in the birdfeeder.

The lovely thing about painting is that one can contemplate spring on the canvas at any time. I found these primroses at the local grocery store and thought they looked great in front of a lavender-blue background. They brought springtime to my soul.

Simple Gifts

Thankful for simple pleasures.

Springtime Blooms

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Tulips bring a promise of spring on this cold, dark day.

Bosc Pear

SOLD

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This is another values study. I'm following artist Paul Foxton's instructions for mixing color. This method employs the use of the New Munsell Student Color Set book as an aid to selecting the appropriate color, value, and chroma. I love this way of painting. It has caused me to slow down and give thought to each brushstroke. Lots of fun!

Two Lemons

TWO LEMONS

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After a long hiatus from painting that lasted from spring through the end of 2016,  I am finally back to painting. In addition to a busy summer that included painting walls and remodeling the kitchen, I also hit a painter's block that knocked me back on my heels. I wanted very much to paint, but felt fearful about picking up a paintbrush and actually applying paint to canvas. I wouldn't even check out the blogs and websites of my favorite painters; something that I normally enjoy. What that was all about, I don't know. It made me feel sad and angry and guilty, and was entirely self-imposed. My husband was supportive and encouraging. His suggestion was to just paint without judgement and without attempting to produce anything. That became my New Year's resolution and I'm happy to say it was enough to get me back on the horse. 

For the next little while I'm going to focus on values as I paint. I've recently been following a first rate blog,  Learning to See, written by artist, Paul Foxton. The blog contains a treasure trove of information on color and value and is well worth a look. 

It feels so nice to be painting again. I wonder what took me so long!