Tangerines on Blue Stripes

Two tangerines on a blue striped cloth.  I really enjoyed playing with the complementary colors.  The blue stripes were very dark, but got lightened up quite a bit in the painting.  If I had worked from a photograph I might have felt constrained to leave them very dark, but since I was working from a still life that I had set up, I changed everything all over the place. 

Stiped Towel and Orange Slices

This is a slightly larger piece, so I thought I'd try some pattern.   I found a piece of blue and white striped towel and kept the colors simple, everything blue or white except for the orange slices.  I  subdued the reflections in the dark blue vase and the coffee cup because the striped pattern was taking over. I also lightened the fabric to reduce the contrast and simplify the painting.  A fun exercise.