One subject - Two takes

 The other day I went back to the little garden Phil (hubby) tends.  Not much going on right now --a few little sprouts from the seeds he recently planted. But in the back row, all by its lonesome, was this bright ruby red little pepper. With the mild winter, it just toughed it out until someone noticed it.  It has tons of personality - chubby cheeks and a turned up nose.  I still didn't quite catch just how perky it is in real life. 

Anyway - a fun little subject to paint.  Did these two 6x6" boards in one afternoon.  Trying a new way to pop values. 

Working on a few little pieces for an upcoming show in June.  I'll keep you posted.
BTW: If you click on the blog heading here on the email, you'll find recently updated info.

An Invitation to Delicious!

                                                  Orange Slices   16x24 oil.  Click to Enlarge

The other day I was happy to learn that my quirky painting, Orange Slices, was accepted for 'DELICIOUS', an upcoming exhibit at Studio Gallery (Feb.29-Apr 1).  If you are out and about, do stop by and take a look around. It's always a fun show. Also, a free reception will be March 4, 2-6p.m    
You can check out a sampling of the show here:
http://www.studiogallerysf.com/Delicious_-_photos_5D0N.php

10 Cool Kids and Three Slices

First of all, let me take a moment to thank the 10 terrific students from Tam High's Saturday's class. If they paint with a smidgeon of the enthusiasm they displayed in class, they'll be filling up canvases in a flash! They made tons of new colors and rose to the challenge of identifying and painting values of lemons and limes. The one downside Saturday was that I forgot my camera so I have no photos :-( sorry about that, gals and guys!

Orange Slices
oil on board. 6x6"
click to enlarge


This study, from last week, was about painting the shadow. They have always been my big challenge....to get them to look natural. What I did was set my bowl in a big cardboard box and aim a light to mainly hit the left side of the bowl and oranges with the right side partially in shadow. The goal is to make it look like a difference in the light source (vs a difference in paint color!)

Shadows are about value - you can most any color as long as you get the values right (light vs dark). More soon!

How to Clean Paint Brushes..fun? NOT

OK - I admit that for me, cleaning brushes ranks right up there with flossing and going to the gym - I do it because I know it's a good thing to do, but fun? not so much. But, for the most part, the better care you take of your brushes the longer they'll last and better they'll perform. (Be sure to read to then end where I will negate all my good pointers and give you permission NOT to clean your brushes!)

This is what I cover with my class:
1. Before you leave your studio, wipe/squeeze off as much paint from the brush as you can with a rag. Don't skip this step - it makes all the rest much easier and faster!

2. Rinse brush...in water for acrylic paint, or use mineral spirits/other thinner for oil paint. With rag, again squeeze paint out from ferrule towards end of brush.

3. Clean brush with 'soap'. You won't believe the amount of paint still in your brush. (Some painters like to use plain ol' clear dish detergent with lanolin. I use The Master's brush cleaner and preserver but there are many other products out there. I buy the big studio size tub and it lasts years; keeps my brushes from drying out. Experiment until you find what's right for you.)

So - to clean with the soap..........
a) wet brush with tepid water then swipe it across the soap several times, building up a little lather.

b) stroke the brush back and forth against your open palm to work out the paint, gently pushing down, bending the bristles slightly at the ferrule (metal) in each direction. If working with oil paint, use a glove.

c) After several passes, rinse thoroughly with tepid water; squeeze the soap and water out of the bristles, pinching with your thumb and index finger.

Repeat a-c process until you get the paint out of the bristles and ferrule. FUN?

Now - your reward for reading through all of this: I know some VERY FAMOUS painters who totally ignore this advice. I've seen their brushes in their studio - standing in cans of paint, laying around with old paint on them...getting stiff like wire brushes. And it works for them. They (a) have a very loose style and don't mind the scratchy strokes in their work.....and/or (b) can afford to buy lots of brushes!

So - find your path. It doesn't matter how you do it, just do!

to be or not to be.....

                                                   Tulips Softly   oil  24x10  click once to enlarge    

I painted this on Friday.  Just downloaded the photo from my camera and as I posted it here thought ...hmmm, I may want to work a bit more on the backdrop.  Or not.  I'll let it sit a day or two more and then decide.   Like experimenting with a new recipe -towards the end, take a taste, decide if it needs a bit something more..  We'll see.  (The dark lines on the side are just me not cropping correctly.  It's one thing to paint the piece, another to do all the cropping etc.)