Daffodils Three Vases

For this painting, I used a palette knife to create sharply defined areas of white.  I wanted to mass the whites and the grays to create a clear pattern of light and shadow.  Slightly larger 12" x 12". 

Apple Blossoms Square Glass Jar SOLD

Another painting of crabapple blossoms.  I started painting this and was interrupted.  The painting sat drying for two days and by the time I got back to it, the flowers were gone.  But I realized the painting, though barely started, was almost done.   I had done a good job of massing the darks and lights into large shapes.  It took only a few minutes of adding several flowers, a few petals and the details of the stamens and anthers and I was happy with the result.  It has a loose feeling because I didn't overwork it.   On my ETSY store

Apple Blossoms and Jelly Jar SOLD

Actually I think these are crabapple blossoms; they're a little early for apples, and the flowers are smaller and more abundant on the stem.  These were a gift - a few of my apple trees have started to bloom, but I hesitate to trim any of my flowers because that means less fruit in the fall.  I like how the flowers are suggested rather than individually painted.  And I like the quilted design in the jelly jar.   On my ETSY store

Daffodil Bouquet in Top Lght

A bouquet of yellow and white and orange and white daffodils for spring. We have hundreds of daffodils popping up; enough for weeks of painting.  The yellow-centered ones are fragrant and the small orange-centered ones are an old fashioned variety with multiple flowers on a single stem.   The strong top lighting enables me to group the white tones and simplify the composition.  I like the yellows against the gray-it's a lovely combination.  On my ETSY store

Daffodils in Two Vases

Early spring is often a mix of these colors, gray, yellow, green, and white.  The first of the daffodils are here and of course they need to be painted.  16" x 12"  On my ETSY store

Dolphin Point

View from the Vashon -Fauntleroy ferry.  I like the last tree on the point--it is very distinctive- like the dot on an exclamation point!  The day was hazy, the  Northwest version of sunny.  8"x10" 

Dockton Marina Low Tide

A view of the Dockton Marina and Quartermaster Harbor at low tide.  Early in the morning the water is pale and calm and the pilings are reflected in the still water.    From photographs taken on location.
On My ETSY store.

Crabbing at Low Tide SOLD

When I first saw these guys out with rakes at low tide, I thought perhaps they were digging clams, but they were in water too deep.  Turns out they were looking for crabs.  Painted from photos I took on location.  6" x 12"On my ETSY store

A view of Tramp Harbor on Vashon Island.  Sand and Mud flats are exposed as the tide goes out, and often they are covered in soft green seaweed.  I wanted the flats to show the sparkle of sunshine and painted the vertical strokes to add a sense of vibration to the painting.  24" x 24" 

Bridge View in Aberdeen

A view from the highway bridge looking towards the railroad bridge in Aberdeen Washington.  Motorboats and sailboats are docked in the Wishkah River and late afternoon sunlight turns the bridge trusses yellow and casts complex shadows.  12" x 12"  Painted from photos I took on location.  On my ETSY store

Blue Teapot and Eggshells SOLD

A month ago I painted the teapot, last week I painted the eggshells, in this post I put them together.  I combined warm browns in the eggshells and cool grays and blues in the background and teapot.  The colors are subdued and desaturated so they complement each other nicely.  I like the pale warm color inside the shadow of the eggshells.

Three Eggshells SOLD

A very simple subject matter, painted in medium and high values, with very simple warm/cool contrast.  On my ETSY store

Nympheas

This was painted for a challenge on Daily Paintworks.  It's a subject I've painted before and always enjoy.  The challenge is trying to make all the lilypads recede in perspective and to lay flat on the water.  The trick is to remember that no matter the shape of the lilypad, it is an oval on a plane and the oval doesn't really tilt to the right or the left unless the plane also tilts. Its the same problem as drawing a bowl or cup on a tabletop- ovals that are closer to the horizon become thinner and flatter, and ovals that are at the bottom of the page in bird's eye view are closer to a circle.  A bit larger 24" x 30".  On my ETSY store

Three Eggplant, One in the Cup

One last painting of the eggplant from Uwajimaya's grocery store. I like the luscious colors of the eggplant.  And the metal cup feels very shiny.  I really like this one.   On my ETSY store

Three Eggplant Silver Bowl

These dark red-purple eggplants are elegant next to this shiny Revere-style silver bowl.  I like the dark lavender reflections on the bottoms of the eggplant.  Painted from small eggplants I bought at Uwajimaya's grocery in Seattle.  On my ETSY store

Pink Anemones Just Opening.

A painting from last fall when the Japanese anemones were blooming.  These were just starting and hadn't fully opened. For this one, I worked to lose edges and keep the whole piece light and high key.
On my ETSY store

Two Eggplant Silver Cup SOLD

This still life was the result of a shopping trip to Uwajimaya grocery in Seattle.  There they have the most amazing variety of produce, including these beautiful little round eggplant.  The stems are a soft fuzzy yellow green which is a delicious color to paint.  I like the reflections in the tabletop. 

Glass Bowl with Limes in Light and Shadow

Some subjects I paint over and over.  I love the translucency of glass bowls.  How do you paint glass?
You paint what's behind the glass, or what's in the glass first.  Then create the shape of the glass bowl by wiping out lights, especially along the rim and foot, and then add shadows and reflections. Last come highlights and bright whites. 

Black Cup Orange Slices and Magenta Wall

Another paintingh of a cup with orange slices, but this time with a little touch of magenta toliven up the color scheme.  I like the mirror on the table; it reflects the orange slices and the cup, but it is also obscured by bright light raking in from the right.  The light catches dust on the mirror surface and lightens the reflections.   I like the purple reflected on the right edge of the cup.  On my ETSY store

Cup Stack with Two Yellow Cups SOLD

I like the yellow cup in the foreground.  It has a lot of curves that are interesting in contrast to the straight sided cups.  I also like the strong contrast between the single large dark shape and all the high key cups, saucers, and background.  On my ETSY store

Cup Stack Yellow Bowl Blue Saucer SOLD

The light is above and slightly behind the cups, so much of the foreground is in shadow.  Just the rims and handles pick up the lights. This one has a lot of "glow" about it.  On my ETSY store

Blue Cup and Oranges on Mirror

The cup is so dark it's barely blue, mostly black, and the oranges are a bright high key complement.  I like the color of the background gray, there's a little yellow in it - it almost has a greenish cast.  I also like the slight orange reflection on the left side of the cup. 

Blue Cup on Red with Oranges

The bright red and orange background makes a lively contrast to this dark blue cup.  A cheery painting for a cool day.  I like the texture of the canvas covered panel - it adds lots of texture and loosens the brushstrokes.  I have been using smooth panels and this makes a nice change.

Yellow Black White Cup Stack

Because the yellows are mostly in shadow, I had to make a dark yellow. I added yellow ochre and raw sienna. I also add black (turns the mixture green), or just a little bit of dioxazine purple.  There were a lot of reflections in this pile of dishes and by keeping the colors minimal I was able to throw yellow light into the shadows. 

Orange slices and Pewter Teapot SOLD

This is an old pewter teapot with a dark tarnished look.  It has a soft glow and reflects just a little bit of the orange slices.  I like the dull finish - it was actually harder to paint than a shinier surface, but lots of fun. 

Purple Wall SOLD

I enjoyed painting the glass jar. but I really enjoyed painting the saturated purple wall. It's not a color I usually use, so I went to town. There is a  piece of glass on the tabletop and the oranges are reflected in the glass. The piece of glass allows the color of the tabletop to show through, and it creates a lighter reflection with less contrast than a mirror would create

Oranges in a Silver Bowl

A simple composition of warm oranges against a cool green background with a cool silver bowl.    This painting doesn't have unequal (dynamic) divisions of space - the edge of the tabletop divides the panel in half and the bowl is centered on the page.  But still it is interesting because of all the reflections and shadows. 

Oranges in a Glass Bowl on Green SOLD

When I look back at my old posts, I can tell the when the painting was painted from the subject matter.  These satsuma oranges are in season in the middle of winter.  I usually buy them by the box or bag, and because I have so many, they wind up in my studio as well as the kitchen.  I like the orange and blue green together. 

Blue Teapot Blue Cups SOLD

Another painting of the blue teapot but with blue and turquoise cups. All the colors of blue make the painting harmonious, but the wide value range adds drama.  On my Etsy Store.

Blue Teapot White Cups SOLD

The teapot was a gift and has been on the shelf for a while.  I put it together with the white cups and am very pleased with the sparkle and contrast.  The only pure whites in the painting are little dabs of highlight on the teapot.  I like the minimalist colors and the very tiny stripe of red in the reflection in the teapot.  I think that red stripe comes from the way light bends on a convex surface.  I see this sometimes in the edges of objects in bright glare.  (Though it might just be a distortion attributable to my bifocals.)

Oranges in a Blue Bowl

This bowl was a thrift store find and I knew it would make a great painting.  And the oranges are little halo satsumas, both attractive and delicious.