Sprouting Garlic (sold)

5x7, oil on canvas panel

As you can see, I keep my garlic way too long, but it does make for a better painting with

a few green sprouts.  I'm sure a really good blogger would include a recipe for garlic in this post.  So here's my recipe, put garlic in anything that's not sweet.



Linseed Oil

5x7

Some oil painters use a medium and some use the paint as it is out of the tube.  I am

a medium user.  A medium, depending on the kind, will thin the paint and

make it flow better and often add a bit of gloss. 

When I painted in college (the whole 1 semester I had!)  we used copal.  I really liked it, but

I doubt it was very healthy for our young lungs.  However, we did not

worry about those things then.  I don't think anyone realized the importance

of handling the materials with caution.  To make a point, almost everyone paints

wearing gloves, something I did not see years ago.

About a year ago, I only used linseed oil mixed with a little gamsol (orderless turps), hence the

half empty bottle.  Then someone introduced me to liquin which I had always

resisted because of the way it looks.  I'm such a princess!

Liquin thins the paint, provides a soft gloss, and hastens drying--so I am

now a convert.

Someday I'll probably dig out the linseed oil again...we painters are like that. We go

back and forth with out supplies.



The Yellow Door (sold)

8x10, oil on canvas panel

A Lazy Afternoon at Home



8x10, oil on canvas panel

I picture this family sleeping in on a Saturday morning, then having a big breakfast before starting their day.  Sounds like a good idea to me!

Small Spruce

8x8, oil on canvas panel

The reference material for this painting was a photo I shot while driving (slowly!) on Fairview Road with my window rolled down.  Sometimes it's fun to see the reference and then the painting, so below is the photo.

A Day on the River



8x10, oil on canvas panel

This painting will be auctioned at the Union County Arts Gala at the end of this month.  I decided on a silver frame to pull out the different blues.

Valentine Rose

6x8, oil  on canvas panel

Happy Valentine's Day.  This rose, not a usual subject for me, is a painting using the Daily Paintworks Painting Challenge.  I am also working on the gridded 10 minutes painting.

Here's a link to the challenge.   http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenges

Work in Progress

It's been a long, crazy week, and I haven't gotten much painting done.  Next week I'll be on my tos!

Earlier Riser

    8x10, oil on canvas panel

Big Yellow

10x10, oil on canvas panel

It has been raining, raining, raining here and I couldn't take any photos.  Today is cloudy and gray, but the light was beautiful and even. 

Cars and trucks are not a subject I paint or draw often.  Of course, drawing is drawing, and one should be able to draw a truck as well as a house, person, etc., but it still helps to have a little experience.  I had a little trouble drawing the truck meaning it took at lot of wiping off and starting over.  Anyway it was fun, and I shall look for more such subjects.

Stapleton Kearns is writing a series of post on 100 paintings every artist should know.  Stape is a delightful writer and the information is quite fascinating.  Hope you will take a look.

http://www.stapletonkearns.blogspot.com/

Small Farm Buildings

7x5, oil on canvas panel

I liked the interesting shadow cast by the 2 buildings in the front.  Shadows

make an object look like it's sitting on the ground, table, or whatever.  It's truly

amazing what a difference a shadow makes!