"My Underwood" oil on linen

I have 2 very cool old typewriters. This is my portable Underwood that actually works. Hundertwasser is one of my favorite artists...my favorite pen and old silver teapot I found at Portobello Market. Oh yes, one of my old and worn out quilts and Buffalo China platters with oranges included. I love my old "stuff".

"Sliced Lemon" 18" x 20" oil on linen

Unintentionally I seem to be working with a full palette these days, with a wide spectrum of colors. In the beginning of this painting, I had painted a patterned blue fabric underneath a group of whole lemons. With the planned flowers in the upper canvas, this just did not read well. So I broke the front right space up with cut lemon slices and placed them in an arranged scatter, which works better as a composition. 

"Transparency" oil on linen

I have been working with clear glass and cobalt glass over the last month or so. I was trying to abstract the design of the red bow. I love the way looking through clear glass distorts objects. The bottle is not painted with precise lines, but then, I wanted it to have it's own personality....like it is breathing.

"Dripping Grapes" 10" x 10" oil on linen

I did this painting in the fall. The silver pedestal tray I use in many of my paintings. I wanted the grapes, dripping down, on the left to show their opacity against the light.

"Salt and Kiwi" 10" x 10" oil on linen

I was painting this Roseville baby cup with the kikis and salt shaker. I thought, when through, that the painting looked too symmetrical, so I replaced a kiwi with another salt shaker. Now I really do not like it., but thought that I would show you anyway. What do you think?

Flowers

So today I made flowers. This is made with Liberty cotton lawn for the puffy fabric center, hand- felted wool for the petals and a vintage bakelite button in the shape of a cube for the center. I really needed a break from painting. This flower will top off my pile of cookies to my best friend for Christmas.

"Maxine" 10" x 10" oil on linen

I've been commissioned to do a few pet portraits over the last year. This is one I just painted for myself of my dog, Maxine. She was a real sweetie! My June 2010 post shows another "Max" I painted for a friend from Facebook. I will soon post the third of an Australian Shepherd. I do work from photographs.

"About the Glass" oil on linen 18" x 20"

I had mentioned before that I had purchased some pretty blue glass on etsy. The cobalt blue creamer I thought was beautiful in the light. I like the way glass distorts objects viewed through. What I was focusing on in this painting, besides just having it turn out OK, was transparency and opaque, as well as matte and reflective surfaces. I like the fact that in a still- life all of the objects sit still, barring no bumps to the table. Flowers constantly move, people breathe, but, with a consistent light source objects stay put. I use a big black-out cloth for draping my light box, which is set up like the framing of a box, using PVC pipe. Therefore, as the day progresses and the light moves across my studio, I don't have to worry about the light changing. Too bad the present does not contain a reward for all my hard work....just a prop.

"3+4=7" oil on linen 18" x 20"

I have taken an interest in cobalt blue and aqua glass, and with all these tangerines around the house, what a nice compliment in color to paint them together. This is SO obvious, though, that tomorrow I need to find a different color palette to work with. I just found this beautiful little cobalt pitcher on etsy that I want to paint. It's so petite and the light shines through it so beautifully!

"Joker" colored pencil and ink on bristol

I've always wanted to design a deck of cards. Well, at least the face cards. Do Joker's count? This was just a fun little exercise.

"Cobalt Bottle" 8"x10" oil on linen

When looking for things to set up in a still life, sometimes I am thinking of an "object", while other times I look for colors I want to use. I recently picked up this cobalt blue bottle, thinking orange, orange. I have another blue bottle I am excited about painting, because the shape is just so beautiful.

"Remains of an Egg"

I forgot to post this one with the last. Before I broke this jar in the sink, I did a small painting of the jar after the egg was poured out. Then I broke the jar!      8"x6" oil on panel

"Just a Break" 8"x6" oil

Not a lot of time today but I painted this small 8"x6" panel. Egg yolks can look rather funny in clear glass. I accomplished what I set out to do...a quick study. Upon cleaning out the egg from the jar, I, by accident dropped the jar in the sink, eliminating any possibility of painting this jar again. Oops!

"Not My Coffee!" 6"x6" oil on panel

Well, here is little mouse making another appearance and always wanting something. Last time (a few or so posts ago), mouse wanted the last crumb of cookie, being that he was fully submerge in the jar to begin with. Just like my cats, he thinks he wants a sip of my coffee. But I know that he's only after the rich coffee aroma.

"Pecking" 10"x10" oil on linen

I've never painted glass Christmas balls before, and was having difficulty in choosing the colors, knowing they would be reflecting off each other. Then with the placement, I thought I would separate the two, hopefully getting a wonderful shadow shape to work with. I think the end result looks like big bird eyes with a little beak where the nose would be.

"Hop On" 8"x10" oil on linen

There wasn't even a doubt as to whether I would paint today or go out to do necessary errands. I'm sure the stores were mobbed! Errands can always be held off to another day. So today I was thinking while painting, of making every brushstroke that I put down to really matter, meaning that I wanted to say as much as possible with fewer strokes. I clearly knew what I wanted to say and how I felt about what I saw. The light was beautiful! I just get into this thing sometimes where I think just one more bit of paint will do it. Then again...and again. And before I realize it, I've got a thick mess quickly looking like mud. Well, today I took my time, allowing only so many strokes per square inch...basically. I am a bit more pleased with the results, but I probably would have been better off stopping 30 minutes earlier.

"Mug Shot # 2" 20" x 20" oil on linen

This is my second post of this particular painting. Actually, I have a series in the works

 using all of my vintage mixers. I love plastic, especially bakelite, once used in the manufacturing of many items used in the kitchen. I even still have my bakelite Viewmaster with many round slide cartridges in their paper sleeves. Crazy 8 ball! Got that, too! My brownie camera from the 50's still hangs on the mirror in my room. Back to this mixmaster....to me the top, working body looks like a squid when removed from its' stand. Star Wars planet Hoth also previews a droid that hovers over the snow, looking much like my mixer. Anyway, this is my fourth, but not final, interpretation of this nifty appliance. Stay tuned. Look out eBay!

"Kids at the Wedding" 42"x42" oil on linen

"Kids at the Wedding" has been a work in progress for the last 3 years. I always seem quick to critique my own work. For me there will always be more issues I could be resolving daily, but there has to be a point when I must stop. Not quit, but stop for awhile. Nuff said! This painting is too big to get into my car, so you are the first to see it, for it has never left my house.

"Kiwi" 6" x 6"

This is one of my recent daily paintings. I don't work this small very often, but find that I can pretty much finish a thought or idea in one sitting... and before my subject dries out from the hot lights! I've been working on a lot of holiday things lately and not found enough time to paint and DO IT ALL. Whew! When will I ever catch up?

"Oranges Up Front"

I don't have much to say about this one except that I'm glad I took out the eggs and substituted orange slices. I'm having trouble coming up with composition ideas, but by the end of the day I thought that painting foreshortened sliced fruit with a bit of a tweak on the perspective might be fun.