My Daughter's Shades

After painting what seemed like 300 paintings of bottles, even though it was only 3, I thought I would mix it up a little before returning to my series.  My daughter left her sunglasses on the floor, so I got to borrow them for a day.  I just wish my shades were this cheerful!

oil on panel
5 x 5
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Vintage Bottles 3

I kept it simple with this one and played up the colors of the glass instead of the background.  I kept the bottle with the orange patina out of this setup to keep more of a mellow feel.  It was nice to be painting again after 5 days of vacation!

oil on panel
6 x 6
sold

Street Corner on Sunday

This painting is a view of downtown in the town we recently moved to.  Very different from downtown Los Angeles, but both are beautiful in their own ways.  My new downtown has flower baskets hanging on every streetlight, and cute little storefronts.  I think, at least for now, my new downtown suits me better. 

oil on canvas
8 x 10
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Vintage Bottles 2

I am really having fun painting these bottles, and I'm really having fun finding cool patters to use as backdrops!  It's so interesting the way colors and patters become warped and distorted through glass.   I think I might try to do a small series with these fun bottles.

oil on panel
6 x 6
sold

Vintage Bottles 1

I grabbed these vintage bottles at our local flea market where I grabbed this creamer and these books.  I picked up a handful of them, but they have so many more for such good prices that I'm sure I will be back for more.  I have been working with white and dark backgrounds recently, so I thought I would punch this one up with some color!

oil on panel
6 x 6
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Sunflower with Dots

We picked up this sunflower along with several others at the farmer's market today.  Out of all the beautiful perky stems, my 3 year old son chose this one.  The lady working at the stand gave it to him for free because it was fading fast.  He walked so proudly with his droopy flower for the rest of the morning.  I decided to paint it quickly before it was too far gone.  He looks to me like he is investigating those perky little polka dots.

oil on panel
6 x 6
sold

Limes with Glass

I was experimenting a little more with limes and a simple white background.  This glass was the perfect accent to help keep the composition interesting, but not take anything away from the simplicity.  Hopefully that is what I accomplished.  We always seem to have a steady supply of limes in the house, so I think the real challenge is to keep coming up with different settings for them!

oil on gessoboard
6 x 6
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Limes with Creamer

I picked up this creamer at the flea market the other day when I found my lovely book stack.  It came as a set and I love the angles of the handles.  The sugar thing (holder? pot? I'm embarrassed that I don't know what they're called) has two handles that makes it look like a small trophy.  They are dainty and fun and I thought would pair nicely with some limes.  The reflections were the best part!

oil on panel
5 x 5
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In other news, I sold my first painting yesterday!  I have sold some in the past, but this was the first to a complete stranger who doesn't know me.  Now it sold for $3 in an auction, but to me that said: someone likes your painting enough to want it in their house.  I think that's a great first step!

The Three Pears

My lazy pear is lying down on the job in this painting.  This will be the last of the pear paintings for now, since my three models have been devoured!  I love the way the dark blue looks with the chartreuse of the pears. 

oil on cradled panel
8 x 10
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The Blue Books

I found this beautiful stack of books at my local flea market and had to pick it up.  I intended for them to be more of props for my still life paintings instead of the subject themselves, but I thought I should paint them a few times before unwrapping the bow.  Just for fun, I'm putting this one in the Daily Paintworks auction.

oil on panel
5 x 7
sold

The Lazy Pear

This pear was beautiful (and delicious according to my husband), but could not seem to stand up on its own. What better place to stop and take a rest than on my over-sized latte mug!

oil on panel
8 x 8
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Pears In Pink

Pears must be in season now.  Not only did I find some great looking ones at the market, but they are popping up in paintings at Daily Paintworks like crazy!  Pears are fun to paint, and are also challenging because they have so many unique twists and turns to their shape.  

oil on cradled panel
6 x 6
sold

French Press and Spoon

This week's challenge at Daily Paintworks is "The Gift Challenge II."  We are supposed to paint something we received as a gift that has meaning to us.  Well anyone who knows me knows that coffee is almost as near and dear to my heart as art is.  I received this french press this past Christmas, and I don't know how went for so long without one!

oil on board
8 x 10
sold

Out Of Line

I picked up a set of these tennis balls at the store a few days ago because I was attracted to their bright colors.  Then I tortured my dogs for a few hours while I painted them before letting them get destroyed.  It was definitely a different subject to paint, but I really enjoyed it.

oil on panel
8 x 8
sold

The Gossipers

I think the way the two tomatoes on the left are positioned looks like they are whispering about the third.  But the lone tomato looks confident enough not to mind.  This will probably be my last turquoise background for a while.  I am going to challenge myself to find other colors to compliment my still life paintings.  I do so love the way the reddish orange of the tomatoes looks with the blue.  

oil on cradled panel
6 x 12
sold

On The Edge

I'm back to the tomatoes again!  They are really fun to paint and I love the bright colors.  Their stems are fun also, as no two tomatoes are alike.  Here I challenged myself to try a different perspective, and it was harder than I thought it would be!  I think I will put this one up for auction as well.

oil on cradled panel
6 x 6
sold

The Jump Off

This is another painting based on the photographs I took at the horse show in Southern California.  I especially love painting these scenes because they are so dynamic.  And of course, it's so much fun to paint the bright reds of the jumps!

oil on canvas
11 x 14
sold

The Good Onions

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm having fun painting produce on a bright blue background.  I just love the way it makes the reds of tomatoes and the yellows of lemons pop.  I wasn't sure how it would work with these onions, but I think there is enough orange to pull it off.

oil on canvas
8 x 10
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Getting Lost

This is another landscape painted of the Nebraska farm.  There is something so peaceful about driving for miles without seeing a billboard or strip mall.  

oil on cradled panel
6 x 12
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Just Passing By

This cow is one of many I photographed on the Nebraska farm.  This big guy seemed indifferent to us as we drove past, not running like most of the others.  This was my first time painting a cow, and I was surprised at how different they are from horses, both in body shape and in attitude.

oil on canvas
12 x 12
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Berry Picking

This week the challenge at Daily Paintworks is "The Stripe Challenge."  I thought it would be easy enough to find something striped in my kitchen, but surprisingly, every dish, mug and platter I own are in solids.  I will be shopping for some more playful tableware soon, but this time I wanted to submit a painting to the challenge while it was still current.  Luckily, my daughter wore a striped dress to pick blueberries over the weekend.  Figures and clothing are difficult enough, but the stripes on the dress were definitely a challenge!

oil on panel
7 x 9
sold

The Red Onion

The Red Onion is a very yummy Mexican restaurant in Southern California, one that I didn't eat at enough before we moved.  Luckily, there is another yummy Red Onion Restaurant here in Downtown Joplin, although it features a different cuisine.  It too has a very attractive exterior, so I assume I will be painting it soon.

oil on panel
11 x 14
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A Lazy Tuesday

With all the tea and lemons I've been painting, my little white teapot was begging for some attention.  Making a white object three dimensional while still being white was more of a challenge that I would have thought.  I love the teal band on the plate with the lemon.

oil on board
8 x 10
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Tea and Lemon

This just might be my new favorite mug to drink tea from and to paint.  There is something fun about painting glass, with all the reflections and distortion.

oil on panel
6 x 8
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The Meandering Fence

I painted this landscape based on one of the many pictures I took on the farm in Nebraska last summer.  I love the way the light hits the posts of the fence.

oil on panel
8 x 10
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Lemon and Lime

This was my first attempt at painting both lemons and limes.  I love the character each lemon has in those knobby ends, each one looks so different.

oil on panel
6 x 8
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The Empty Lot

I painted this landscape a few months ago.  This is an empty tree-lined lot that is for sale, so it grabbed my attention practically from the moment we moved here.  The weather in Missouri is so much more interesting than anything I experienced on the west coast.  I love the mood it creates on a stormy day.

oil on canvas
9 x 12
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