Silver Pot and Oranges in Backlight, Shiny Reflections and metal Pitcher SOLD

Another shiny silver pot.   I used a shield to create an interesting shadow with a small spotlight of light that creates sparkle on the pot and tabletop.   I like the glowing background.   This painting will be in the Vashon Art Studio Tour the first two weekends in May.  Link to map of Vashon Spring Art Tour  I will be showing my paintings at Stop # 23 in Dockton.  See you there!  In the meantime, this painting is at my ETSY store

Metal Bowl with Clementine Oranges on Pink SOLD

This was painted in January. The saturated colors and bright contrasts were an antidote to the gray weather and the short days.  Even though the colors are bright, they are limited; just pink orange and neutral grays and browns.  On my ETSY store.

Low Silver Bowl and Three Clementines SOLD

 

Painted this winter when the clementines were abundant.  I like the limited colors and contrast between very saturated colors and neutral grays and browns.  On my ETSY store

Two Tangerines on Brown

Tangerines are a favorite subject, especially when I'm in the grocery store looking at the gorgeous contrast between the fresh leathery green leaves and the bumpy orange skin.  I always have good intentions when I buy them, but somehow it takes me days to get around to painting them, and by that time the leaves are starting to brown and curl up.  These were fortunately painted within the first day or two of acquisition.  A lot of the lights in the tabletop were done by wiping out.  I use a smooth gessoboard from Ampersand which allows me to work back into painted areas and lighten and remove pigment. 

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. 

Two Tangerines with Leaves on Pink

Another exploration of deep shadows and top lighting. This time it's a brightly lit pair of tangerines with leaves and stems still attached.  I threw a shadow across the back of the still life setup to create drama and simplify the composition.
On my Etsy store

Glass Bowl of Tangerines on Pink

Another bowl of tangerines or clementines, this time with the light on the side and a lovely purple shadow on a pink tabletop.
On my Etsy Store

Glass Bowl with Clementines

The lighting is directly above these small tangerines, giving strong shadows and bright highlights.  The bowl was hard to paint because  both sides were visible.  I kept going from side to side; trim a little here, even it up on the other side, add some more, take more off. Sometimes when I have a problem I will make a paper pattern, fold it in two and work on it until it is symmetrical and then unfold it and trace it back on to the painting.
On my ETSY store.

Tangerines, Silver Bowl and Green Background

This was painted a while back (tangerine season has passed) but I did some changes to it just a few days ago.  I like the top light which throws small shadows directly down and which makes interesting reflected lights in the shadows. 

Silver Bowl Tangerines on Lavender and Pink SOLD

The light is coming from the side and creating interesting shadows and reflections on the tangerines.  But the reflection in the bowl is simplified by being just one thing instead of three separate objects.  I like the little touches of blue in the reflection- they add excitement.

Silver Bowl Tangerines on Blue

The colors in this paintings are complementary - orange and blue.  And the neutralized greenish tones on the wall are a mix of the two colors, which adds harmony. There is a lot of medium value, a small amount of dark and the smallest amount of light value. The main subject of the painting is  two and a half tangerines -  divided into two unequal groups.  The reflection is subordinated to the tangerines,  The reflection is simplified as one shape, reduced in value and reduced in saturation. I like the shape of the metal bowl - it makes good reflections.

Silver Bowl Tangerines on Magenta

This feels luscious - lots of saturated colors, all reflected in a shiny silver bowl.  The areas of gray and charcoal make the colors more interesting by adding contrast.  I like the shadow in the foreground that is magenta on the pink table cover and turns to blue on the gray table cover. 

Black Cup Three Tangerines on Pink

Another of the 10" x 10" paintings that I created for the Vashon Allied Arts commission.   I really enjoyed painting that spoon and fork and I like the dull brown color reflected in the dark cup.  It's really interesting how the change in size affects the composition.  A 10" x 10" painting is almost three times the size of a 6" x 6" painting.  So both the golden background and pink foreground seem quite intense because they cover a larger area.

Silver Bowl Tangerines on Pale Green

Another in the tangerine series.  I usually paint the same subject for a while until it gets too squishy to move easily.  I'm really enjoying the reflections in the silver bowl.