Red Carnation and Lemons

Best Wishes for the New Year!

I hope your holiday season has been joyful thus far.  All is well in unseasonably warm Connecticut.  That is except the struggles with the last two paintings which both ended up scraped away after many hours.  I decided to retreat and paint something familiar so as not to be frustrated a third time.

Red Flowers with Eggshells

A bit of red for the holiday season.

Button Flowers with Lemon

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone! Cold and gray here in Connecticut.  Just a few days ago, I was basking in the sun of Sedona.  Where is our sunshine?
As usual, I don't know the proper name of the little yellow-orange flowers but they look like buttons to me.

White Rose

This might look like a peanut butter jar but it is not.  It is a much larger jar of unknown origin that has a beat up green lid with great patina.  The lid however did not make it into the painting.

Yellow Bouquet

My favorite vase is a recycled peanut butter jar.  Peanut butter is a major food group at my house.

Red Carnation with Purple Flower

Purple flower, it sounds vague and undistinguished but I liked it and it was a nice challenge to paint. It came in one of those grocery store mixed bouquets.  If I had the time, I would try to give it a proper name.

If you are in the New Haven area, come by and visit at City Wide Open Studios this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25-26,  Erector Square, noon to 6.  I will be in Building 5 on the second floor.

Lemon and Eggshell with Bottle

There are always two things in the house-- lemons and eggs!  Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall so far.

Save the date-- I will again be participating in City Wide Open Studios, October 25-26, noon to 6 pm. You can find me at Erector Square, 315 Peck Street, New Haven, Building 5, 2nd floor.  There are so many artists at Erector Square-- lots of interesting art and people.

For more information about Open Studios or to join a curated tour (I am one of the curated artists) see the following links:  City Wide Open Studios and CWOS- Curated Tours .

Daisies with Red Carnation

Back to still lifes.  Liked the way the daises were intertwined.

Ring Buoys at Lobster Cove

I was on Monhegan Island, Maine last week attempting some plein air painting.  The above is one of the few that was somewhat decent -- although a fellow painter pointed out that it is more of a still life than a landscape!

Monhegan is an extra special place-- its beauty exceeded only by the generous and kind spirits of the people I met on the island.

Eggshell with Feather

Another summer month gone!  I have been enjoying the summer and doing a bit of plein air painting.
What fun-- pack up supplies, set up easel, fight off biting flies and get a sunburn, too.  :-]

I was afraid I had forgotten how to paint a still life so I went for familiar objects in this painting.

Lemon with Building Blocks

Wow, I can not believe it is mid July.  Although some still life paintings are getting done, mainly I have been goofing off enjoying the summer and just for something different painting some abstracts (which are too hideous to post.)  Hope everyone is having a good summer so far.

At the Giant

Happy first day of summer!  Life has been hectic and I haven't been in the studio lately.  I did challenge myself to a short plein air painting session-- and this oil sketch is the result.  (The giant refers to the Sleeping Giant State Park-- this stream is at its western border.)

Blue Heron

Some friends just purchased a beach house called (guess here);  answer: The Blue Heron Beach House! It got me thinking about something other than still lifes.  I am going to ask if there is room for this in their new digs. (And does anyone use the expression digs anymore?)

Orange Block with Lemon

These vintage building blocks were also picked up at Brimfield last month.  They are too cute and for some reason, fun to hold.  When I set this up, I loved the way the round edge of the lemon was echoed by the concave shape in the orange building block.

Thanks everyone who attended the opening and/or visited the show which has just concluded.  It was great fun.

Long Spoon with Lemon

The Brimfield Antique and Collectible Show in Massachusetts bills itself as the largest antiques event in the US and I will admit the amount of stuff there is overwhelming (more than 80 acres worth).  It occurs 3 separate weeks each summer.  I went a few days ago to wander about and see if something struck my fancy to include in a painting.  I picked up a few pieces of battered silverware including this long spoon-- there was something about the shape of this spoon that I loved.

Roses with Hydrangea

If you happen to be in the New Haven, Connecticut area this Friday come say hello.  My solo show opening reception is Friday, May 9th, 6 - 8 pm at DaSilva Gallery, 899 Whalley Ave, New Haven.  It is ArtWalk Gallery night so other galleries and shops will be open -- come celebrate spring!

Dahlias

At least I think these spiky flowers are dahlias.

I just returned from Santa Fe; toured the Georgia O'Keefe museum and visited Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu where she painted.  Her interpretations of the landscape were brilliant!  I love the desert.

Feather Canopy

Hadn't done an 8 x 16 in a while.  When I set this up, I liked the concept of the lemon being protected by a feather canopy.

And a quick save the date notice.  I will be having a show at DaSilva Gallery in New Haven, CT, May 9 - 31.  The artist's reception is May 9, 6 - 8 pm.  Come visit!

Three Roses

Back to the dark side.  I am still enjoying playing with paintings with black backgrounds.  Roses this time which I always find challenging!

Redo

I hardly ever rework a prior painting.  I am either satisfied or it goes in the reject pile to be either trashed or painted over. Although initially ok with this painting that was posted in January, the original color of the tulips bothered me- they were dull and looked as if I couldn't decide what color they should be.  Much happier with this version.  Tulips are whiter and brighter.  Changed the shape of the jar for no particular reason.

Three Cherries and Jar

Wow, it has been a while since I posted.  Too busy complaining about the polar vortex.  Perhaps to counter the cold, I leaned to the warm colors in this painting.

Daisy

Another snow day here in Connecticut; nothing to do but stay home and paint (plus a little bit of shoveling.)  Have finished the black painting series for now.  Here is one of the last of that series.

Big Jar with Two Lemons

Threw in one more lemon; wanted to repeat something similar just to make sure the first one wasn't a fluke.  The second lemon provided the opportunity for more warmth in the reflections.

I was in Florida this past week; now back in Connecticut with a space heater at my feet-- it is not the same experience.

Nice and warm inside but oh so cold outside (and snowing).  Love this big jar and this is the first of a series with it on a dark background.  The only problem is photographing these dark paintings-- always get some glare.

White Tulips with Gerbera Daisy

These were the flowers off to the side waiting their turn to be artfully arranged.

A new year -- 2014-- I like the sound of it.