Path Less Traveled

This one is quite big (30in x 40in). Finishing this painting was not linear at all. Last July I took it four times to the spot in the woods, battling mosquitoes in the steamy summer heat. I was not sure if it was finished, so I left it "stewing" for a while leaning against the living room wall. After looking at it for several month it became more clear  that I needed to work on the path. A few weeks ago I took it back and focused on the broken up morning light that gives interest to the leaf covered forest path.I think it improved tremendously. I am going to show this painting in an upcoming group show.

Tailor's Tools

The blue measuring tape laying on top of a folded piece of fabric, a left-over from a sewing project over the week-end, was the inspiration for this still life. I found it quite interesting to study the light and shadow areas on the tape that are so important to give it definition in space.

Pepper 'n Sauce

The interest in this still life is that the background is done in cool colors, the items in the foreground are in warm colors, the shadows have warm colors reflected.

Kohlrabi Ready!

Not that common in the US, kohlrabi is an interesting looking and tasty vegetable. Here, I was lucky to find red/purple kohlrabi in an Asian super market. Having rather low contrast in this painting the light concentric lines on the bottom are popping out, "highlighting" the vegetable's typical character.

ANOTHER HAPPY DAY PAINTING!

Painter's Tools

I had to take a break from fruits and veggies. Almost ran out of ideas ...luckly, looking at my painting box these items came to the rescue. I would not have pre-planned this set-up, as this seemed too familiar and trivial. That reminds me to look closer and show appreciation for the everyday stuff, being mindful of the environment, people and things.There, the word of the day!

Strawberries on the Edge

It is strawberry season again here in Florida. On the table's edge two berries wiggled out of the bowl with the plan to escape onto the floor.
As you can see, the fun is not only painting them, it is also creating a story about a "not so still" still life. The challenge was to keep a very busy table cloth quiet so it does not take away from the main subject. I think that complementary colors and cool against warm tones help visually to separate. What do you think?

Group Show

If you happen to be in the area, you are invited to stop by for some wine and cheese while looking at some pretty nice paintings. Again, for most of you who live far away, the paintings I am showing you have seen on this blog. A super week-end to all and if your area of the world is in winter-mode - stay warm!!!

Sun and Clouds over Marsh

After bringing back the previous painting for a "make-over", I realized that I still was not done with this scene. How would the colors change in more direct sun light? Would I be able to capture that? To explore the subtle color differences, I painted a smaller version of this view. Being more familiar with the subject made a difference in not having to rush to hurry to "capture the moment". I felt more relaxed to just observe the color nuances and follow the flow of the clouds.

       After this painting, I realize more and more that COLOR is what gets me excited about a painting in general. One of the old masters of landscape painting that I totally admire is - Cezanne! It is amazing how he created distance with the contrast of warm against cool colors... endless inspiration.

Along the Marsh 2

 Something I normally do not do is, taking a finished painting back to location for a make-over. This painting kept on "haunting" me whenever I looked at it sitting on the easel. What is it?... I kept on wondering. To finally find peace, I decided to take it back one more time to the spot in the park. Of course it was a different situation, clouds, reflections.. it all looked different, however, after doing more looking and listening I added some brush strokes in the reflections, foreground and trees, did not touch the sky... Unfortunately the photo came out more blue than before which makes it difficult to see if the "finishing touches" improved the image. Please let me know what you think - your input is always appreciated.

Along the Marsh

A healthy and prosperous new year to everybody!!! This painting I finished yesterday. The view is from the boardwalk in the nearby park that leads to a lookout where one can observe turtles, fish and waterfowl. The cloudy sky is the left over of a rainy early morning. 

First Place

I am so excited to announce that my still life "Three Red Pair" won First Place at the Second Annual Island City Juried Art Exhibition. The Show is up until mid January 2014 at Art Gallery 21 in Wilton Manors, Florida. This recognition is a great honor!!!

Lemon-Granate

I was able to squeeze in some painting time and this is the result. I think the contrast of lemons against the pomegranate worked well.

Lunchtime with Horses

Another horse painting - here I wanted to bring out an easygoing noon atmosphere. Not to compete with the center of attention (people sitting at the picnic bench),  the horses are painted with little details and the foreground is kept plain. Please let me know if this works.

Two Turnips

These turnips had tops and bottoms trimmed to be stored for the winter. I love how the tiny green top re-sprouted. Of course the fun part was the cast shadow of this green symbol of life. 

Next to the Umbrella

Here I captured one of my painting buddies stepping back from the easel. The underside of the umbrella is illuminated by the early morning sun which attracted me to this scene in the first place. I kept the surrounding greenery simple, while tree trunks and cast shadow are leading to the focal point. 

Red and Orange

This Pomegranate had all colors from pink to orange to purple. I find that the color red with all its nuances is still a struggle for me. I guess I need to paint more red fruits and veggies ...

More Apples

Another apple painting as they are easily available and always sitting on my kitchen counter. The multi coloration offered a nice challenge.

Peppers and Onion for Dinner

Here is an arrangement with complimentary colors. The onion was put in place to be the anchor to hold it all together. I keep on wondering if the composition is too split in the middle -?

4 Bananas

A very familiar sight, bananas are probably the most popular fruit. Even though they grow in South Florida, these came from the store. I enjoyed to play with the yellows, pinks and the different plains of the fruit, in particular banana number 3 is just peaking out from under.

Pommes

Multicolored apples and a pomegranate, the ancient apple - hence the title. I enjoyed to play around with warm and cool color tones here. The idea of fall and harvest comes into mind -