The Dungeness River runs from the Olympic Mountains in Washington to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. If you travel up the river before it goes into the hills and then look back, this is what you get. The evening light is the frosting on the cake. It's the sweet light.
This oil painting of apples, grapes and a silver tea pot is a commissioned piece I just completed. The customer is a collector I have worked with and met through Ebay. Although my client had free reign on the elements she preferred in the piece, as the artist, the rest - composition, etc., was up to me. I did, however, strive to match the palette to paint chips and fabric swatches provided by the customer. The piece has a full value range and is pleasing to the eye.
This 11" x 14" original oil of cabbage roses set by a Delft Liquor server is painted in the style of the Old Masters. It has thick, lucious paint in the blooms and the beautiful soft light on the server illuminates the entire painting. Note the detail of the roses in the picture below.
I've been out of the action with a bad head cold so this was a nice re-introduction to my easel and a relaxing piece to do.
This 8" x 10" Oil of Peonies in a Crackle Glass vase is painted with luscious, thick paint. The crackle glass vase is a favorite of mine and balances nicely with the blooms. Although painted "Ala Prima" - in one sitting, the flowers have good detail while still retaining a look of spontaneity.
This is 9" x 12" painting of Hydrangeas in a Silver Urn. That said for Ebay and Google searches, this is actually a small copy of an original pastel I painted a number of years ago. The original pastels is quite large so this was a real challenge. I love reflective objects and satin cloth falls into that category. Here the reflections in both the silver urn and the gold cloth compete with the beautiful blue/purple tones of the Hydrangea to present a study in elegance. I used a lot of thick paint in the Hydrangeas and the Urn is quite detailed. Cloth is always a challenge to do well. Enjoy!
This is 11" x 14" painting of a silver bowl with white flowers and grapes. That said for Ebay and Google searches, the composition is a bit more involved than ones I have done recently. I jumped into this one with both feet because I have been away from the easel for a few days and I wanted to tackle something a bit complex. The cloth is a gold tapestry and it, along with the grapes are reflected in the silver bowl. The green glass jar balances nicely with the Japanese vase in the background. The title was inspired by the likeness of the real flower to the decoration painted on the Asian vase. There's a lot of rich paint on both the cloth and flowers. Enjoy!
This is 9" x 12" painting of tangerines and a copper kettle. That said for Ebay and Google searches, The copper kettle is one I've used many times before. Each time I paint it I find another approach to rendering it. This time I tried to achieve more texture both in the kettle and the tangerines. There is a generous paint layer on this piece. The soft gray blue background works to set off the golden glow of both the fruit and the kettle while providing a little atmosphere. I enjoyed painting the table top and the way it picked up the reflections and color of both the kettle and the tangerines. There's a glass vinegar jug there too. It kind of fades into the shadows on the left while managing a reflection or two of its own. Enjoy!
This 11" x 14" painting of a Silver Teapot and Red Poppies has rich detail and great color. The Poppies are reflected both in the silver pot and the silver pitcher. The red flowers are set off nicely by the greenish umber background. Red Poppies are a favorite wildflower of mine - perhaps because they seem to outlast all the others and group in such abundance. I came to Washington from California and was delighted to find that they grow almost as profusely here as they do there in the summer.
I'll be on vacation this week and won't be posting again until after the 11th. I'll be carrying my laptop, though, so if you e-mail me, I'll get the msg. See you then.
