Simply a Pear

6 x 6 inches, oil on wood panel, Simply a Pear

                     Available at DPWs

   As promised more fruit painting.  Love painting pears, because it is almost impossible to get it wrong.  There are many varieties of pears, so how ever it turns out you can simply claim that it is correct.

    Of course I still did some practice paintings on canvas paper til I got what I wanted....

 

Simply Fruit

simply an apple, 6 x 6 inches, oil on wood

Available  DPW auction

Started working on a small group of paintings, 6 x 6 inches on wood panels, all of fruit.  These are a small group of paintings that I think would be simple and elegant for a kitchen or dinning room.  And the subject is great practice for developing more skill with oil painting.  Did a practice one on canvas paper and liked the way it looked so did a finished one on a wood panel.
   If you can't think of a thing to paint here you go, raid the frig and then grab a paint brush ;)
Plan to see more fruit this week.

the first practice on canvas paper

 Mary

A Flower for You

6 x 6 inch oil on canvas

                                     Available on DPW

I thought I would share the process of making this painting.  This is another in my small character still life paintings.  I have a collection of odds and ends, including some beanie babies that I use for set ups.  This one is a simple set up just the stuffy and a flower.  I set up the objects to paint on a surface that has some shine, so I get reflection and shadow to incorporate into the painting.  I use a goose neck lamp to get a direct light on the set up, moving the light around until I like the shadows.

Set up to paint

Then I do a quick drawing on paper as a reference for the painting.  I do not draw on my painting surface.  

quick sketch

Next, I do a rough, almost abstract under painting, using a dark oil color thinned down a lot with odorless thinner. In the under painting I am looking for a few main things; lights, shadows and lost edges.  The lost edges are places the outline of the object merges with either the light or dark around it.

The thinned paint is easy to correct because it can be wiped off if needed and adjusted.

not the best photo but here is the under painting

After that dries over night I proceed to finish the painting with color and details.  This isn't the way to do all oil painting but this method works well when doing still life painting for me.

 Mary

Schiros Art

Thrift stores and still life

Cool Savings, 8 x 10 inches, Canvas panel

Available on DWP

      Ever second hand shop?   I love to visit thrift stores, second hand shops, the Goodwill, Salvation Army store and look for odd and interesting objects to paint.  I use them for a while, then donate them back. That way I can enjoy them, then pass them on again. I have gotten some strange looks, because I will actually pick up a few things and spend some time right in the store setting them up in a still life arrangement. 

    The piggy bank in this painting is one of those things I found.  The little guy caught my eye and reminded me of when I was young.   My first bank was a glass pig that I slowing filled up and later opened my first bank account with those savings.  I wonder if kids still do that now?

    With this little painting I wanted to create something classic and childish at the same time.  

   Just thought I would share my thought process on this one.

 

The Look

Completed oil on Ampersand panel 14 x 11 inches

                                            Available in DWP auctions

Painting involves a lot of time spent just looking.  Looking at the subject, understanding the light, shadows, shapes and colors, because after all those are characteristics make a good work of art. 

    Often, after finishing a painting section, I set the painting somewhere to view easily.  And after looking at it for awhile,  I decide it is done, other times there is a growing feeling something is missing.  Having the painting somewhere I can view it at different times of the day, under different light and with different moods the missing part becomes obvious.

   This painting is an example, I loved the subject and the colors and thought I was done, but after a few days got that feeling it was missing something.  Then it became obvious the composition was missing something…balance.  I added the flower and it felt complete.

   So take time and really look at your work, it sometimes has more to tell you.

Before...

and after.

   Here are the before and after pics...