This was the first painting I did at the Stanley Bielen workshop. Below you can see Stanley beginning the first of two demos he did during the week. Here he had quickly toned the canvas using Indian yellow mixed with a little black.
This was about halfway into the demo. After the toning, there was a quick underpainting. This was followed by the "loading the lights"; using generous amounts of paint to establish the light values.
I just got back from Bennington, Vermont where I took a fabulous still life painting workshop with Stanley Bielen. It was an Art New England workshop which is sponsored by the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
For this painting, I toned the panel with red acrylic. I then painted with oils, "lifting" the oil paint to expose a few bits of red.
The actual title for this painting is failed still life turned upside down and turned into a landscape--but that seemed too long. Actually, the still life disaster turned into a good opportunity to just play with colors and shapes.
I don't grow orchids but my friend Lindy in Texas does. This was painted from a photo taken at my last visit. Some frown on painting from photos but I think whatever inspires you to paint is fair game.
This still life was, of course, painted indoors but somehow blue skies are coming to mind.
Happy 4th everyone. Red and green--this little painting feels like Christmas in July.
For some reason, while I was doing this painting, the song "Think Pink" from the Audrey Hepburn movie, Funny Face, popped into my head and wouldn't leave. You can watch the movie performance of this song on youtube--one of the lines from the song is "think pink and you're Michelangelo". Too funny.
Beautiful day in Connecticut today. Stopped by Susan Powell Fine Art in Madison to bring in this recent painting and to see the new David Dunlop exhibit (so worth a trip).
Thought I would try a different flower with a dark background before hightailing it back to my comfort zone of lighter backgrounds.
I decided to finish this study which had been started in Qiang Huang's workshop last weekend. (Did I mention it was fabulous?) Qiang often uses dark backgrounds which are lovely and mysterious. I find them a challenge.
Although the pitcher and lemon take center stage, the red background will not be denied its place in this scenario. The power of cadmium red--amazing.
Just completed this larger still life featuring my favorite milk bottle. ( Favorite things - I feel like bursting into song like Julie Andrews.)
The roses are in a small square glass milk bottle from a dairy in Connecticut that no longer exists. I love this little bottle--I wonder if anyone still makes glass milk bottles? (Please forgive glare on photo.)
This is one of the old bottles that I previously mentioned. It is scratched and beat up but still beautiful.
Usually, it is the pear's solid, chunky form that I like to paint; today was a day for something different.
