Saturday, December 31, 2011

Midnight Roses

I know, is not technically midnight.
I was working on a larger painting all day and had not done my "daily". I decided to take some roses and  put them in front of a window.  The result is something very different from what I usually paint.  It's good to get out of the comfort zone, at least once a year.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Friday, December 30, 2011

Nature Studies: Geese

I'm doing quick studies of "wildlife', even though calling Canadian Geese wildlife does not seem accurate since they're everywhere.  Anyway, I feel I should do more of these, and I will.  I'm not expecting masterpieces or even finished pieces.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Bowl of Oranges

I found my inspiration today by admiring the paintings of Joaquin Sorolla (1863-1923) at the Hispanic Society Museum in New York City.  His paintings are full of energy and self assurance.  His colors are clean and vibrant.  The size of them is truly imposing.  Just to think that he created all that beauty with the same painting tools that I use every day.
About the craft, I have been warned about painting cut glass, obviously, I did not listen.  I enjoyed painting this and I love the way that the orange in the front steals the show.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Rain

Some people like to walk in the rain, others like to sing in the rain, I like to paint in the rain.  Maybe I can't make that claim because I'm under a roof, but the sentiment is the same.


Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Monday, December 26, 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wednesday's Painting..



Is full of woe..
This morning as I decided to put some of the homes in the landscape.  They are a part of the place and I don't want to ignore them or pretend that they are not there.  This is new to me and like everything else, it'll take patience and lots of practice.  I didn't really finished this work, I kind of abandoned it.  I feel that whatever else I do to it will not contribute, therefore, I'll move on.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Pears and Stripes

Naming these paintings is half the fun.
I'm staying with the same elements to explore different angles and ways to present them.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Monday, December 19, 2011

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Kiwies

I'll be the first one to admit that putting a green kiwi on a yellow plate over an orange cloth might be a bit much, maybe.  But, it is in these daily paintings that I get to try different things. It's all about exploring and having fun, learning and getting out of my comfort zone.  I'm happy with the finished product.
Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Friday, December 16, 2011

Cloud Study # 4

Clouds move very fast on a windy morning. I painted this around 7:30;  it was a little difficult to capture the formations, but well worth the trouble.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Tomatoes

Would I paint tomatoes so often if they weren't red?  I don't think so.

Oil on canvas.  6 x 6

Friday, December 9, 2011

Apple with Leaf

I love finding an apple with its leaf still attached.
I moved things around in my studio and the light is not too great in the evening, I'm not sure that the colors are to my liking.  I guess I'll know tomorrow morning.

Oil on canvas.  5 x 5

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Syphon and Sunflowers

I didn't know what to paint on this dark and dreary morning, so I chose something bright and cheerful.  Maybe a little too ambitious for a quick painting.

Oil on linen.  7 x 5

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Foggy morning

It was a quiet and still morning, reminiscent of a Whistler painting. Then, a duck glided into the picture and I decided to make it the focal point.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Self Portrait #3

I don't do enough of these, it's too painful.
The colors are kind of chalky because I painted on an old canvas.

Oil on canvas.  8 x 8

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Fall Colors 4

The reds have faded, but these are still fall colors.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Little Red Teapot

Started this one around 6 this morning, left it, and finished around 9:30pm.  I'm definitely a morning painter.

Oil on canvas.  5 x 5

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Apples in the Round

The left overs from the still life made an interesting composition.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Mums

It was supposed to be all about the flowers and it ended up being all about the glass.

Oil on linen. 5 x 7

Friday, November 25, 2011

Pinecone

This small pinecone turned out to be quite a challenge to paint!!

Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Yellow Daisies

I think of daisies as a quick painting, but they're anything but easy to paint; for me at least.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 4

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Misty

I exaggerated the colors a little.  The sky and water were pretty light, but the colors were muddy and dull.  So I lighten them up!

Oil on linen.  8 x 10

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Mark

Working on my portrait skills.  There's a lot to be fixed here, I"ll finish it next week, and re post.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Monday, November 21, 2011

Late Afternoon 2

I think one of the reasons why I like painting the late afternoon sky is because it's all about reacting to the colors that I see.  There's no time to think or second guess, as the light changes very fast.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7
 

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Friday, November 18, 2011

Nocturne 2

This was done around 5:30 pm.  I don't like that it gets dark so early, but at least I can indulge in some nocturnes.  The paintings are getting looser as I get faster. One of the reasons for that is that there's less  people out walking, the place is getting a little too deserted for my taste.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 6

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Morning Sky

This morning I chose to paint just the sky, since everything else looked boring in comparison.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 6

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Grey Morning

This morning was very quiet and the sky was grey.  Perfect background for the warm trees.
Oil on linen.  5 x7

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Elks 2

I started this this morning and did not get a chance to finish.  I'm re working a composition from one of my older paintings.
Oil on canvas.  6 x 8

Monday, November 14, 2011

Daisies and Lanterns

My daisies are still blooming even after we had a snow storm.  I added the chinese lanterns to give it a "fall" touch.

Oil on linen.  6 x 6

Sunday, November 13, 2011

By the Culvert 2

I wasn't entirely satisfied with yesterday's painting, so I went back and tried again.  This time using a different format and a limited palette.  I like the scene, I just don't feel that I'm capturing what I want to show.  There might be a number 3 in the near future.

Oil on canvas.  6 x 9

Saturday, November 12, 2011

By the Culvert

This was a very colorful scene, I had to tone down the colors and eliminate a lot of brush to get an uncluttered picture.

Oil on canvas.  8 x 8

Friday, November 11, 2011

Don't Rock the Boat

Not a good idea to paint boats on a windy day, but I just loved this scene.

Oil on canvas.  4 x 5

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Chinese lanterns

Chinese lanterns are, to me, as much a reminder of fall as apples and turning leaves.  They also remind me of my friend Audrey, because we picked these in our walks.

Oil on linen.  5 x 7