8 x 8"

oil on board

Two very recent works.  I've made progress with my colors, lighter, brighter. And I've added a patterned table cloth in the background. I am kind of pleased with them -at least for now.

Orange Slices

oil on masonite

6 x 6

I took the burnt umber and the phthalo blue out of my palette for these. Two of them I painted in my home studio and two of them I painted at my mom's house, in the bedroom in a tiny corner.  I put the set up on a table and the palette on a dining chair and held the painting in my led hand while worked with my right.  There was a forth painting but Mom kept it.

So I had a really bad day painting today.  I was trying to paint a plate of orange slices.  My colors were muddy, my brush strokes indecisive. And what tipped me off, my medium was gummy. Time for new equipment. I got a new medium jar, a new brush bath, and a new can of solvent, I was almost. out. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try it again - but tomorrow is another day.

From the Further  Adventures of Frozen Charlotte

both are 6 x 6 on masonite

Where will she go from here?

I've been painting in a certain way for quite awhile. My little mannerist paintings are nice, but even as I type the words "little" and "nice" they feel a bit precious. You know, precious in the bad way.  It's feeling a bit confining and while I don't want to throw away what I've learned doing them, I'm looking for a way to expand.

Maybe like this. This is something that I've off to the side for many months. It's about 3 x 5 feet not inches.  Every once in awhile I add something. I'm guessing that at this point it's about half way done. 

It's the oversized cousin of something I did earlier this year, that I called "yellow glass" they were about 18 x 24".  

The scale here is deceptive. But which is more interesting? 

This is one of the apples at the coffee shop now. I pulled this one down and scanned it because someone's is buying it. Yay! 

I like to scan and post everything I paint. But I've been lax lately and missed some.  Those missed pieces are hanging at Kaldi's coffee on the plaza this month. I must say they look pretty good on the white walls. Kaldi's has great coffee too.

A series of Frozen Charlotte dolls.  I've seen these dolls used in jewelry and tableaus. Always a little weird. I've put my Charlotte in a bowl, maybe like sleeping beauty.

Apples Again

6 x 6"

oil on board

My favorite subject, again. :) This time in a hobnailed glass bowl.

Phlox

6 x 6" 

oil on board

A lovely stand of phlox grow in the flowerbed in front of my house - a gift of sorts from the previous owner.  Seemingly fragile, they never give up.