Art and Nature

Here is the art part.  A simple painting with a bit of nature.

Below is more nature-- the view right outside my kitchen window this morning.

Did not expect to see a black bear feasting away.  Look at the poor confused bird (tufted titmouse) sitting on the bent over pole.

Have a fun and safe July 4th weekend everyone!

Red Gerbera with Pear

Back to painting after hiking in Zion and Bryce last week.  Really spectacular vistas -- can't imagine trying to capture them in a painting.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Balanced Feather

Here is the last of the feather series.  Thought I would attempt the downy feather one more time.  These are essentially the same elements as the last post just rearranged.  (note to self-- buy some fresh flowers and/or fruit.)  :-}

Hope everyone's holiday season is going well.  And if I don't talk to you before January 1, best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.

Feather with Eggshells

A continuation of the turkey feather theme….this time to see if I could capture the fuzzy quality of the downy portion of this feather.

Red Can Opener

Another one of those darn cute can openers.

Green Can Opener

This can opener came from the huge Brimfield, Massachusetts antique show which I visited for the first time in September.  It was too cute not to paint.

Green Plate

I find it very difficult to maintain the the egg shape while painting them--they start losing that interesting, one end slightly fatter, one end slightly narrower, shape.

Perched

The title may be "Perched" but as I look at the painting, that pear on the right really looks like he is ready to do a swan dive into the little cup. Oh no, don't do it!