Still Life of a Chinese Vase with Dried Roses, 11" x 14"

"Chinese Vase with Dried Roses"
SOLD

This 11" x 14" painting of a Chinese vase with dried roses is the seventh in a series of concept paintings that represent a new body of work. There is a lot going on in this painting that belies it's simplicity. The brushwork is expressive and the paint layer generous. While the background is fairly shallow, there is a quality of airiness to it. I'm still working with a digital camera here and so the values on the front egg do not read exactly correct. It is a little darker than the one behind it so that it provides the first and only object in the foreground on which the light first breaks, leading you to the second which is in full more intense light.

Floral Still Life with Japanese Vase, 12" x 16"

"Floating on Air"
SOLD

This 12" x 16" Oil was yet another painting done on the basis of a concept. The concept here was space. I wanted to portray an object - in this case a flower, occupying space while a the same time appearing to float in that space. There is a lush impasto of paint on the flower bringing it a three dimensional sculpted look while the background remains light and airy. There is nothing like viewing a painting in person and as always this photo falls short of the painting.
I've started the bidding at $49.00 with the view that if it doesn't sell - it's one more for my show in March. Enjoy!

Floral Painting of Pink Peonies in a Pewter Vase, 9" x 12"

"Peonies"
SOLD

Sixth in a series of paintings done with a concept as a framework, "Peonies" is a painting about color. Here I've played the pink color of the peonies against a somewhat low key greenish umber. The two complimentary colors work together to create excitement. The gold cloth has enough sienna in it to pull it into the analogous range. More Yellow and it would be a discord. While the vase is essentially colorless, being of reflective material, it brings together all the other colors in the painting to a harmonious whole. The peonies are painted with a generous application of paint as is the gold cloth. Enough color theory. Enjoy!

Still Life of Delft Coffee Pot with Plums and Flowers, 9" x 12"

"The Delft Coffee Pot"
SOLD

This 9" x 12" painting is the fifth in a series of concept paintings. The concept here is contrast. The contrast is through value (dark/light) rather than color. The small dark plums against the white cloth contrast with the tall coffee pot which is also brightly lit. While there are flowers present in the composition, they play a minor if supportive role to the main members of the cast - the pot and plums. The slightly blue cast in the background provides air and depth to the composition. It's repeated in the cloth as well as on the plums giving the work a sense of color harmony.

While painting with a concept is not entrely new to me, by doing a full series involving concepts I am beginning to appreciate it's merits. If I manage to keep the concept steady in my mind, then it becomes clearer to me what needs to be done within this framework to serve the painting. Anything that does not serve the concept, is peripheral and should either be played down or eliminated entirely.

Still Life of Teapot with Nectarines and Grapes

"In the Light"
SOLD

This 9" x 12" is the fourth in a series of concept paintings. The concept here was massed light. I wanted to portray the grapes as highly lit without losing sight of the other objects in the set up. The trick was to keep the overall impression of light but not allow the grapes to become flat. The light actually comes from high above and slightly to the left. It moves only gradually across the picture plane falling dramatically on the grapes. This was a challenging painting and I'll probably do a few more in this series with a similar concept.

Floral Still Life of Red Roses, 9" x 12", Oil on Panel

"Fallen Rose"
SOLD

This 9" x 12" painting of red roses is the third in my series of concept paintings. The concept here was color. The red roses are set against a nearly colorless background with only a hint of greenish umber to set them off. The focus of the painting is the rose lying on the table. Everything in the painting is orchestrated to bring this rose into focus. It has the hardest lines and the greatest contrast. It also has the boldest color. The light in picture frame illuminates it. Notice how the dark glass olive oil jar behind the rose loses its edges in the shadows. This is one of the hall marks of Chiaroscuro (light and shadow) painting. The vase and the highlighted rose are painted very thickly. Much of the painting has a generous paint layer but if you look closely, you can see the paint strokes on those two subjects.

Floral of Red Rose with Peonies and Silver Tea Pot

"Romance"
SOLD

This 9" x 12" painting of a red rose and peony sitting in a silver tea pot is the second in a series of paintngs done involving a concept. The concept here is color. The theme is romance, which coincidentally, is also the title of the painting. I wanted to portray the emotional aspects of color against a somewhat colorless background. Romance is depicted by the red rose, red being desire, which, like romance sometimes does, has lost its bloom but not its color. The diagonal composition creates tension. All romance hold a degree of tension. This is offset by the soothing tones of the pink and the softened reflections of the teapot. Much as the object of our desire reflects back to us, qualities which we ourselves posess or wish to posess - but often through a haze of emotion. The background is painted thinly while the peony has an almost sculptural quality due to its heavier paint layer.There is a lot of "air" and atmosphere in this painting.

I'm still working with a digital camer instead of my usual scanner. Hence, there are highlights which do not show up well here. I should be back to normal (depending on the graces of the computer gurus) by Thursday or Friday. So if I get things rolling again, I'll repost the picture.

Still Life of a Japanese Vase with Tangerines, 9" x 12"

"Balance"
SOLD

This 9" x 12" painting of a Japanese vase with tangerines is part of a series I'm doing on concepts. The idea is to frame a concept first and then try to convey it on canvas. In this piece I was looking to portray the concept of "balance". The long stem of leaves does this by crossing the plane of the painting. Notice how the light in this painting becomes stronger as it moves from left to right until it falls upon the vase which is the object of the composition. Also the air in between the objects is quite "visible". I'm still working with a digital camera instead of a scanner and so the shadow side of the vase is a bit brighter than it in fact appears in the actual painting.
This is really a lovely piece. I considered not selling it on Ebay as I have an upcoming show at a gallery and could demand a higher price for it. However, my collectors may enjoy this and I'm kind of a fatalist. If it doesn't sell here, well it's one more for my show. Enjoy.

Clementine Tangerines with Silver Bowl, 9" x 12" Still Life

"Clementines"
E-mail me to purchase this painting.

This 9" x 12" painting of Clementine Tangerines uses a complementary color scheme. The rich color of the orange tangerines set off by the blue cloth and reflected in the silver bowl make for a striking composition. This painting lights up under a good picture light and the glazes really bring it to life.
I love Clementines. They're easy to peel and wonderful to eat. A great light snack - perfect for a winter's day.

Painting of a bottle of B & B Liquor, 5" x 7"

"B & B"
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I'm really not a big drinker. But I do like a little after dinner drink from time to time and pretty or interesting liquor bottles intrigue me. This painting is 5" x 7" and carries a strong impact with good color and a realistic depiction of a bottle of B & B. Notice how the label is peeling. This attests to how long the stuff sits around the house. This painting would make a great addition to any rec room or bar area. It's also a good kitchen painting.

Silver Tea pot with Bread and Salt, 9" x 12"

"Bread and Salt"
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This 9" x 12" painting was painted very quickly because of time concerns today. Actually - the bread was my bigger challenge here. The texture appeared easier to paint than it actually was. The work is painted with a light application of color but the silver tea pot has more generous application of paint befitting its place as the main player.

9" x 12" Impessionist Landscape of a Fall Scene with Jogging Trail

"Jogging Trail"
SOLD

This 9" x 12" impressionist landscape of a fall scene is of a small meadow not far from where I live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. The color may be a little off depending on your computer screen but is quite rich with generous paint. The painting's size of 9" x 12" which makes it easy to frame.
The color on this seems a bit intense on my screen and this may be in part because I'm photographing the work instead of scanning it. My computer should be back up by Monday and hopefully, I'll be able to scan stuff by then. I'll re-post the photo of this then.

Still Life Floral with Cornflowers and Silver Tea Pot on Satin Cloth

"Silver and Satin"
SOLD

This 9" x 12" floral still life is done with lots of warm lush color and generous paint application. A holiday present of new paint helped me find just the right colors to bring out the satin on the cloth. My desktop printer is down and hence, so is my scanner. The photo is not as sharp as I would have it, but the color is accurate. This painting was painted in a realistic style and has a nice contemporary feel. It will enhance any decor.

Happy New Year! And many thanks to all my collectors to whom I am deeply grateful for their unflagging support!