"Glass Bench" - SOLD

"Red Glass" - SOLD

My internet has been acting a little funky. I painted this yesterday, but could not post it till now.

I was asked what boards I use. I actually don't buy canvas boards or panels from an art store. I think they are nice, but I have always been in the habit of just cutting and priming boards myself. I generally use MDF (but I think I am going to switch to Masonite). I try to put at least three coats of gesso using a seven inch squeegee so that I can get a nice smooth surface to paint on. This is the way I was taught how to prep boards, and have done it ever since. Sometimes on the last top layer I will lay the board flat on the ground and spray a thin film of water on top and let that dry. Once that is dry, the surface is usually really smooth...except for the time I went back outside and found twelve little gnats stuck to the nice white surface.

"Orange Tomatoes" - SOLD

I bought the small creamer pot today along with the orange tomatoes. It's always fun to buy new things to paint. I don't think my studio can fit anymore stuff, but well, it's what keeps me going.

"Upturned" - SOLD

"Salt" - SOLD

I cleaned out our storage unit recently and came across an old painting I painted a few years ago. I thought it would be fun to recreate the painting. The old one below is 24"x20", and probably the only time I have painted an object that small so large. I thought the colors were non conventional but still intriguing.This old painting is pretty beat up...Maybe I should take care of my older paintings.

Go vote!

"Blue Glass" - SOLD

Blue glass, purple cloth...what more could you ask for? Well maybe a little more. I set this up and liked by the shadow cast by the cup. Still, looking at the painting now I could have, alternatively, gone with a slightly different composition. Maybe a diagonal shadow, but that's what tomorrow is for. :)

"Odd Ball" - SOLD

I wanted to work with some stronger colors today...and I did. The fabric on the table top was very hard to match because of its brightness and color saturation. Every time I added white (or yellow) I lost color strength, and every time I added more cobalt the value became too dark. Just one more example how cool our eyes are, and how limiting our paints can be. But I like how it turned out.

"Yellow Tomato" - SOLD

"Tight Fit"

Only two of the three apples made it on this painting. You can see the other apples shadow though.

"Apples with Bowl" - SOLD

My creativity with titles is gone for the day. But, this painting was fun, it actually reminds me of some of my work while I was is college. One of the things I learned in college was to memorize my position with respect to what I was painting or drawing. I would try and always reference a still object, like the corner of my easel with another mark in the room, so that my eyes were always in the same spot. Drawing becomes so much easier if things don't move around, including your eyes.

"Three Apples" - SOLD

I wanted to get some more landscape painting done, but it was too windy this morning for any outdoor painting. I don't mind working in the cold, but wind is too hard to work with. I know a painter who actually build an easel that hooks onto his steering wheel so he never has to leave the comfort of his car when painting. Which is really a cool idea. He just backs his car into a nice spot on the road, turns on his heater, and paints. Hmmmmm....I think I need to build something like that.

"Timp" - SOLD

"First Snow" - SOLD

I have been wanting to get out of the studio for a while, and so I finally did. I went up the canyon and saw this scene from the road, and pulled over immediately. I think the person driving behind me was annoyed with my driving...sorry. Landscapes are so fun, I need to get out more often. Fun, but cold.

"Limes" - SOLD

Each one of these limes seemed to have there own variation of green, I had to try and paint them all. I have always liked paintings that have some sort of reflective mirror or glass on the bottom.

"Departure" - SOLD

This painting was fun to work on because of all the different shades of red on the tomato. Yesterday, however, was a wipe down, which is always frustrating. But, I like how this one turned out.

"Topped" - SOLD

I admit this is a reoccurring composition. On this one, however, I lifted the focal point high on the board, and unintentionally cut the board almost in half with light and then dark. Half is usually a place to avoid when painting, but I think I am okay with how this turned out.

"Chances" - SOLD

I have been trying to reduce my philosophy on art...at least my own art. I think it is fun to see how little I can do to create the illusion of the object. But, at the same time too little can also be a turn off. So, it becomes a balance of how much information to put down before stopping. I have been interested in that idea for a while. I think there are some great artists out there who do this better than I, but I am having fun trying.

Speaking of great artists...I came across an artist worth checking out. Her name is Deb Sterk. She truly is a daily painter.

"Quick" - SOLD

I tend to paint rather slow. When I tell people each painting takes between two to three hours, some seem surprised. But really, even if my brush strokes appear loose or quick, I actually try to deliberately place each piece of paint. There are, however, some really great painters who can lay down a painting in twenty minuets. I've watched the videos, and they amazes me. But, I like the comfort of working slow.

"Crowded"

I had more apples on the table but these two apples took up all the room, so I guess it's a bit crowded.

"Basics" - SOLD

Oh man, I had a tough last week. I ended up wiping down a bunch of paintings. But now I'm back.