Original Oil Painting Pitcher and Glass

Golden Pitcher and Glass

12" x 12"

Painted on gessobord. 

I painted this from one of the challenge photos on DPW. The challenge was to paint with your other hand. Well, I did not so I will not submit it to the challenge. I just loved the photo reference I had to paint it. My challenge was to make everything around the vivid pitcher to look just as vivid. So the blues flower and glass had their colors intensified compared to the colors in the reference photo. Can you tell that I like color? 

Original Oil Painting Begonia

Begonias in final stages.

This is a begonia study I am doing for my class. The objective is to make the background more abstract. I will see how it looks tomorrow and add any final changes. I know the center top background color will be darken and probably have some other colors to it. It is just too annoying. I am also thinking the green is too dense, some holes might be added to give it more an airy feel. So far the flowers are ok except the two bottom ones look like twins. These are the things I look at when I am finishing up. It is a process, when you change one thing it can make you want to change another. Please check back tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks for viewing. 

Begonias


9" x 12"
Painted on gessobord. 

This is the final. I hope you can see the changes. Some of the leafs are lighter and not as heavy. I introduced blue washes and nuggets of blue to open up the the middle more. Soften and lighten all around the edges of the painting to keep the viewers' eyes  from leaving. Added final details to the center of focus (clusters of flowers in the middle) making them cleaner and brighter. After all that the blue top background only needed a little tweaking and the painting came alive!

Original Oil Painting Still Life by Window

Still life by Window

12" x 12"

Painted on gessobord. 

My biggest challenge in this painting was to create a strong light source coming through the lace curtain. The cherries on the branch needed to be back lit  and cast shadows on leaves behind them. To create interest, I also made the leaves let some of the light show through. Once I did the branch in front of the window everything seem to pop. The painting came alive! 

Thanks for viewing! Please feel free to leave comments. 

Original Oil Painting Autumn Pansies

Autumn Pansies

12" x 12"

Painted on gessobord.

This is a composite painting I made using a variety of still life photos. My favorite part is the garlic. It has the same shape as a pansy petal plus tints of the pansy's colors in it. 

Thanks for taking a look at my painting. If you want; leave a comment and tell me what is your favorite part.

Original Oil Painting Hibiscus Sunrise

Hibiscus Sunrise 

12" x 12"

Painted on gessobord.

I used a reference photo for this but made a lot of changes. One of the petals in the back was too short so I pulled it up. Then I used several pictures I had to finish the background. To say this painting was a challenge would be an understatement. The hibiscus had so many shades of orange and yellows to start with but add to that a whole new set of oranges and yellows to create in the shadows. I came very close to scraping the whole thing off but I just kept coming back to it.

 Painting can be kind of a puzzle or mystery that needs solving.You see all the beauty in nature and you what to convey what you see and feel, but how? So you try this and that, all the tools you know and are learning through trail and error. Well at the end I am happy this turned out. Hibiscus are wonderful flowers and I love the tropical colors they have. I hope that was conveyed in my painting. 

 

Original Oil Painting Old World Cottage Charm

Old World Cottage Charm

NFS

12" x 12"

Painted on gessobord. 

I painted this from a photo I found on one of the free reference sites for artists. I think it was the one from the UK. When I find it again I will try to write down the place and photographer. I love all the pathways. This might be one I would like to do on a larger scale. I will definitely put some thought into it.   

Original Oil Painting Nectarines

Nectarines

Sold 

9" x 12" 

Painted on gessobord.

I love peaches but this week I thought nectarines would be fun. Their skin is smoother but they still have the beautiful peach colors. Anyone for some nectarines???

Original Oil Painting Autumn Clay Pot

Autumn Clay Pot

Sold

12' X 12"

Painted on gessobord.

I know the little green apple is bright but I like how it stands up to the large pot. The Indian corn was a blast to paint.  

Original Oil Painting Radishes and Onion

Radishes and Onion

Sold 

12" x 12"

This is an oil painting I made using one of my still life set-ups. I love all the skinny thin radish tails swarming around. They do not bother the onion at all. Thanks for viewing! 

Ruffled Iris

This is a painting I made last month. It won in the the DailyPaintWorks' July contest!

Click the button below and see the other winners. 

Original Oil Painting Onion Friends

Onion Friends


12" x 12"
Painted on gessobord.

Some paintings almost paint themselves. This is one that did not. I really struggled with it. I had to force the warm harmony on the daisies and that was a battle. Everything in the still life had a warm tone to them except the yellow daisies, wierd. But I was not going to give up even if the tomatoes started to look a little tried. I must of painted the daisies three times before I could get the right values. I ended up using a reference photo I took to help finish up and then just turn to the painting and asked what do you need. Forget the still life, forget the reference photo I took, just focus on the painting.  Because in the end it is only the painting that matters!

Original Oil Painting Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing

Sold 

9" x 12"

I painted this using a photo from Rodney Campbell and pictures of the field behind my house. The background was the biggest challenge. I worked real hard on color harmony and light movement. I tried to relate all the colors you see in the bird into the background. I am pretty happy with the results. Thanks for viewing my Cedar Waxwing and a special thanks to Rodney for posting so many wonderful photos on PaintMyPhoto.