Silver Bowl Lemons and Blue Wall

A bowl of small lemons in the bright light of my spotlight.  I really like the reddish brown of the shadow as it crosses the tabletop.  On my ETSY store

Kwanzan

A Vashon street near the Post Office.  This was painted from a photo taken when the cherry trees were in bloom.   I like the long shadows and gray sky and the warm light on the cherry blossoms.
 On my ETSY store

Ferry at Sunset SOLD

A late afternoon view of a ferry crossing Puget Sound.  The sun breaks through the clouds and gives a bit of sparkle to the end of the day.

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. 

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. 

Breeze in Quartermaster

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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"

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

Bowl of Limes on Pink

A clear glass bowl of limes on a pink tabletop.  Bright top light created shadow ripples on the pink tabletop.  I like the dark raspberry shadow.
On my ETSY store

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

Yellow Green Grapes on Teal with Purple

I put these yellow green grapes on a piece of glass on top of a piece of greenish paper on my tabletop.  This gave me interesting reflections as well as dark shadows.  I used a cardboard shield to throw a dark shadow across the back of my still life.  And I trimmed the cluster of grapes to make the shape of the cluster more interesting.  And then I ate the trimmed grapes. 
On my Etsy Store

Green Grapes, Glass Reflections on Lavender

When I paint grapes, I do a bit of trimming with a pair of scissors in the clusters of grapes so that I have "holes" to paint.  These empty spaces add interest and give the viewer a path into the middle of the action.  I put a piece of clear glass on top a piece of lavender paper for the tabletop.  And I used a cardboard shield with my lamp to throw a dark shadow across the back of the set up.
 On my ETSY store

Blood Orange Slices

These blood oranges have a brownish red color.  Not as pink as a ruby red grapefruit.  The entire tabletop was white, but I dropped the value lower so that I would have enough contrast to paint the light struck areas. 

Top Lit Limes in a Silver Bowl

Another exploration of dramatic lighting and deep shadows.  The limes are top lit, the tabletop is lavender and a small orange reflection from an unseen object adds contrast and drama.  I especially like the shape of the reflection of the cast shadow on the underside of the bowl.
On my Etsy Store

Yakima View II

A scene painted from photos I took near Yakima Washington.  The flat valleys are irrigated and intensely farmed and the surrounding hills are dry and bare.  The hillsides turn blue and purple in the bright sunshine. 
On my ETSY store

Silver Cup Three Slices of Lime

More deep shadows and bright top light.  The reflections on the silver cup were fun to paint and keep simple.  The combination of gray with pale pastel pink is very attractive. 
See on my ETSY store

Lime, Lime Slices and SilverBowl

I'm experimenting with deep shadows and top lighting.  I like the way the silver bowl melts into the shadows. 6" x 6"
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.

Rose Fence

A view from Vashon Island.  I pass by this fence on my trips to and from town.  Most people plant flowers by their house, but this thoughtful landowner planted roses on his fence by the roadside for everyone who passes by to enjoy.  I am always thrilled in the spring when the first roses start to bloom.  Painted from photos I took on location. 
8" x 10" acrylic on panel
On my ETSY store.

Evening Ferry with Velvet Hill SOLD

Late afternoon ferry from Vashon to Fauntleroy. The setting sun highlights only the side of the ferry.  The late afternoon shadows make the hills of Vashon look like dark  brown velvet, and dark clouds fill the sky.  The water picks up an unusual yellow green color. 

Manzanita Beach

A very summery view near my home.  Looking south from Piner Point on Manzanita beach towards Tacoma.  The tide was out and the sky was blue and the sun sparkled on the water.  Lots of tidepools loaded with seaweed, little fish, clams and sand dollars.  Slightly larger 16" x 16" - done from photographs I took on location.

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.

Path to the Beach

A view of pale sandy beaches and shore pines.  Thanks to Oswald West, governor of Oregon in 1913, when the Oregon legislature declared the Pacific beach a public highway. Every few miles along the coast Highway 101 is a road to the beach,  public access and miles of open shoreline.
Painted from photos I took on location.
On my Etsy store.

Waiting for the Ferry

A painting of a summertime subject from several years ago.  Two young women, sitting on the curb, waiting for the ferry to Vashon.  I like the warms and cools in the skin tones, and the interesting poses.
On my Etsy store

Ferry From Southworth SOLD

Sun shines through the clouds and turns the water silver-blue-gray.  This is a view of the north end ferry as it crosses in front of Blake Island on the trip from Southworth to Fauntleroy in Puget Sound.

On my ETSY store