Celebrating a Friend

             oil                        For Cathey         click image to enlarge

Decided to do a quick painting yesterday, tried out new panels (very smooth Ampersand boards). Only had about 90 minutes - forced myself to get darks and lights laid out quickly.  The smooth finish really threw me at first - the paint drys very quickly which is a plus when you can add new paint over the bottom coat and make changes easily but harder to mix paint into paint on the surface.

This orchid was a special subject.... from Sunday when several friends, along with her family, gathered here to celebrate a lovely and talent friend.  Through shared stories we learned so much about this quiet and gentle soul. Her husband played CDs full of the songs she  wrote, sang and recorded over many years (beautiful - not unlike Joni Mitchell) and displayed art and jewelery she created. We knew she did a little art 'occasionally' -but all marveled to seethe depth and breadth of her work.  Quietly she went about her life, taking joy in the act of creating.  I like to think she guided me in this little quick painting.   click here to purchase.

Secrets

oil                          Secrets             click image to enlarge

"promise not to tell...."  Little girls sure love their secrets. 
Did this study of my granddaughter and her pal Isabella yesterday.  I've been thinking about painting figures for awhile; not portraits but looser impressions...universal poses and gestures that may trigger a memory, a shared experience.  I'll crank through many more studies to learn how to mix a variety of skin tones, work out body proportions, create relaxed gestures.  It'll take time to develop in this genre but I'm excited to begin.

p.s. pls excuse the lighting on this photo; I shot it on my easel and the floor lamp hit the left side.

Fresh Reds

6x6 acrylic               Bunched Up        click to Enlarge

Awhile ago I painted three radishes with this same plate and tea-towel. Even though it's only a 6x6 canvas, it felt empty and awkward.  So, on the same canvas, I painted right over the old one:  set up a fresh crop of radishes and 'zoomed' in on my subject.  I think it works better I am amazed at how leafy radish bunches are - never noticed it before I began painting them.  Love them on everything!   $100. Click here to purchase.