The last painting of a lemon sold the day I took it to the gallery*, so I painted another one. This is Lemons on the Tree IV, 6×6”, $75. It needs a few blossoms. Now it is time to start painting Mineral King subjects to sell at Silver City this summer. This is Sawtooth #64, […]
Working Through the List on the Commissioned Oil Painting
And writing the longest blog title ever. Does this look finished to you? It’s not. When I was driving home a few evenings ago, I really studied the way the ridges change color as they recede into the distance. So, I messed with them again. The differences are subtle, and now that I see it […]
Painting Lots of Orange Things
When you look at my painting subjects, you might guess that orange is my favorite color. You’d be wrong. However, orange things are among my favorite things (not raindrops on roses). The poppy painting is on the easel for consideration and contemplation. How can I make it better? Does it need to be made better? […]
Layer by Layer
I spent a morning inside that open door, working on the unusual commissioned oil painting. Let’s do a series of progressive painting photos (the first two appeared on February 27). The studio sat empty beneath the flowering pear tree. Pippin waited for me patiently, until he found something more interesting to investigate.
Tulare County’s Best Getting Better
More leaves, maybe a few more oranges, and definitely some orange blossoms are all that is needed to complete this little improvement project.
Tulare County’s Best
Whenever I have a show, no matter how many pieces sell, I bring home the rest and wonder why they didn’t sell. Then I think about the ones I’ve had the longest, pieces that I have improved on each time I show them again. How can I make these pieces better? I did this scene […]
Navels in the Orchard
Navels in the Orchard is actually just navels on canvas, another oil painting of Tulare County citrus. I painted the details working from the back to the front, which means first I painted the items which are the farthest away from the viewer. Usually I wait until the painting is dry to photograph it. But […]
Orange Paintings Sell Better Than Pomegranate Paintings
Since Exeter’s Mural Gallery (121 South E Street) is reopening (TODAY!), I have a renewed interest in painting oranges. The painting on the left is untitled, so for now I will call it The Painting Formerly Known As Turning Leaf. (I thought that Turning Leaf was a good painting, but apparently I was alone in […]
Polishing up a Few Paintings
As I plan for the solo show at CACHE in autumn, there are a handful of paintings that I want to improve. Finesse. Polish. Tweak. Pick your word. I love this scene! It’s one of the earlier pieces of my obsession with orange groves, foothills, and snow-covered peaks, titled “Tulare County’s Best”. Why hasn’t it […]
Green and Orange
Poppies and oranges are two of my most popular subjects. Orange and green, green and orange. Orange is yellow and red; green is yellow and blue. I’m getting more relaxed about the specific shades of each, focusing more on values, which is Artspeak for darks and lights. This painting will take awhile, because I want […]