Study of White Crockery

I've been away from the computer for a couple of weeks fighting an infection in my leg.

I'm better now, but not 100% yet.

This was the last piece I did before I got sick. It's a study in white and I may have a little tweeking to do on it before it's finished.

A small watercolor 7 x 11 done in Susan's class.

I'm really liking this way of using watercolor, although it really does use a lot of paint, but the colors are so brilliant.

Susan Adam's Workshop

I had the pleasure of taking a workshop this last week-end from Susan Adams.

Susan is a very nice person and lives in Petaluma. She's a very sucessful artist and shows her work internationally.

Here is what I produced out of this week-end. The top one is a finished piece that I did in the afternoon. The lower two are study pieces done in the morning.

Pomagranates Five

I found this wonderful little frame at the Goodwill and have been thinking about what to paint for it quite a while now.

Lately I've been doing a lot of Fall fruits and wanted to do some pomagranates, so I did a drawing of how they would be arranged and what size it would be.

7 x 14 on Arches watercolor paper.

Double Delight

This is a rose that grows in my garden. Faded away now that it's fall, but with a promise to return next Spring. I have this to remember it by.

11 x 15 on 140# Arches paper.

They Get No Respect (The Painting)

I really enjoyed doing this one. While I was working on it I thought about how these fruits are not popular in this country, although they are ancient fruits that have been used through history in Europe and the Middle East. Hence the title.

11 x 14 on Arches 140# paper.

They Get No Respect

I've had an idea running around my brain this last week for a subject of my next painting. It all started when someone gave me 3 small pomegranates. I wanted to paint them because they are so beautiful but thought that just those 3 tiny fruits wouldn't make the statement I wanted to make about the abundance of sustenance and beauty that we have this time of year.

Then thinking about the composition also made me think about color and contrasts, all those thing that go into make a beautiful painting. I needed something to contrast the reds that I had and remembered that a neighbor had a quince tree and was always asking me to take some. Yes they would be perfect with their pale yellow and greens and fuzzy textures. As I walked down his driveway I noticed his black fig tree and saw that there were still figs on it. What a great addition to my arrangement, I hope that he would give me a few, really only need two, but one extra would taste just great, with yogurt and honey, for my breakfast tomorrow.

I brought my treasures home and set them up on my painting table and lit them with an overhead and took many shots, added a second lamp and shot some more. Here is the one I choose and now have to decide if it will be watercolor, acrylic or oil.

Aspen, Eastern Sierras

Don't you just love the colors of fall. This painting came from a trip that Tom and I took a couple of years ago, over the Sierras to the Eastern side. It was in late September and the alders were in full color. Who could resist such a scene. I love the stark whites of the bark against all that riot of color.

This is a watercolor on paper, size 11 x 15

Pumpkin Time

It that time of year again. The colors of fall show in the pumpkins that are now being revealed in the gardens as the leaves die back. Everywhere I go now I see pumpkins, at the grocery store, in front of Walmart, along the freeway north of town and on front porches in the neighborhoods. The excitement is building and you can see it in the childrens faces...Holoween is coming...Boooo.

The Last of the Sunflowers

With the fading of the sunflowers the summer also fades.

But now we have a riot of color to look forward to. Fall is one of my favorite seasons and I look forward to what it brings. Piles of leaves and dropping nuts from the trees.

Chilly mornings and cozy evenings by the fire.

Life is good.

Sunflowers with Red Chair

I'm so happy that my watercolor group has started up again.

I really enjoy these women and we have such a nice time painting with each other. It great to get feed back from them and I love the critiques at the end of our 2 1/2 hrs of painting.

This was my effort this week. I'm really pleased with it.

11 x 15 Watercolor on paper.

Dancing Daisys for Rachel

This is a little fun painting that I did for my GD Rachel.
She has been feeling bad for the last couple of weeks and
I felt helpless to help her. She was on my mind a lot and
I'm hoping this helps her feel better. I love you Rachel.