Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Dockton Marina and Reflections SOLD

A view of the marina at Dockton on Vashon Island in Puget Sound.  Sometimes the light bouncing off the water makes the sky, sea and sand one color and one value.  Very sunny but difficult to capture. The strong dark shadows under the dock keep the painting anchored. 

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Blue House in Grayland

Grayland is a cranberry producing town, on the Washington coast. It was built on flat marshy sandy soil, and many older houses and telephone poles are settling into the soft subsoil. So those poles are really tilting! I liked the blue houses against the blue hill. 

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Breeze in Quartermaster

Out for a sail near Quartermaster harbor on Vashon Island.  No need to use the motor. 

Monday, April 21, 2014

Daffodil Bouquet on White


A spring bouquet against a white background.  I love the bunches of daffodils in the grocery store.  I bought four bunches (40 flowers) to paint, but when I put them in the vase I found I had to take some out to have some "holes" to make an interesting shape.  Otherwise the bouquet looked like a solid yellow lollipop with a fat green stem. 
On my ETSY store

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Yellow Daffodils on Gold

A bouquet of spring daffodils to mark the season.  Rather than paint each individual flower I tried to paint the whole bouquet with light values, middle values, and dark values grouped together, to give a better sense of the volume of the bouquet.  It is hard to make a dark yellow - if you add black to yellow, it turns green, the secret is to add a bit of purple which is the complement of yellow.
On my ETSY store

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Green Onions on Gray

Scallions on a light gray tabletop with a darker gray shadow across.  Even though the tabletop is gray, I see green and purple and gold in the neutral grays.  When arranging the scallions I try to come up with a good division of space and some interesting shapes.  
On my ETSY store.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Dockton Net Shed with Poles

A view of a net shed in Dockton - low tide in the late afternoon.  I don't know what the poles near the shed are about - maybe remnants of another dock?
I like the light and the contrast of the greenish blue hills and the reddish blue beach.  On my Etsy store

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Joe's Chickens in Sunlight SOLD

Joe has been keeping chickens for several years. The flock has diminished several times because of raccoons and hawks and eagles, but then Joe gets more chickens and I have more subject matter. I like the dark interior framed by the doorway - it adds drama.6" x 8" oil on panel. On my Etsy store

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Backlit Ferry SOLD

The sun and the ferryboat lined up perfectly to get this high key (light value) scene.  The water was dancing with little lights and sparkle was everywhere.  Actually, there was too much sparkle, so I suggested it with a few dots and simplified as much as possible.
6" x 12"

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Silver Cup Green Grapes on Gold and Purple

I like the translucence of green grapes, they can be such fun to paint.  And I love the brown shadow in between the tabletop and the wall.  What is that color?  It just works.
On my Etsy store