apples in stainless steel bowl 6 x 8

I started using oils again. They take much longer to dry so i can't just pop the painting in the scanner to scan. My photos don't seem to come out as clear. The picture is a little fuzzy on the side. I will try to fix this later. I learned today to keep my paintings up out of reach when they aren't dry. My 2 yr old made my apple painting from a couple days ago abstract. Oh well. The funny thing is i don't mind too much because i have one just like it in acrylic. I didn't realize it. The only difference is the little bowl underneath is a blue-green and the cloth is different. I posted it underneath the picture of the painting i did today.

I worked on this one a little more this morning. I lightened the bottle up a little and showed more colors on the top apple. I like it better. There was a daily painter out there named Aaron Lifferth who would put objects behind glass to show the distortion. I really loved his work. He stopped painting daily and went to medical school.

6 x 8

6 x 8

16"x20"

   I have been working on this painting for a while now painting a little here and there when i can. It is larger than i have painted in a while. I am not really sure how i feel about this painting. I feel like i say that a lot lately. I love being able to paint everyday now. In a way its like playing a musical instrument. You have to practice everyday. Only on this blog i am showing who ever wants to see what i am doing. Those practices whether they are good or bad are for all to see. These paintings are like stepping stones, one painting leading to the next hopefully teaching me something and helping me to improve and sometimes you can't take it personally. You have to throw it up there and critique it and move on to the next one. You have to be able to take the bad with the good. I like the reflection of the pitcher in the mirror. I don't exactly love the cloth. It is actually my sons t-shirt. I am hoping to get some oil paints soon so i can try that out for a while and see if i like that better. 

     The lesson i have learned with this painting is that i have remembered that color is very important to me. Besides composition it is probably what keeps me interested in a painting. When i use acrylics i don't feel like the color is there so i get frustrated and maybe bored. I don't paint abstract. obviously.  So color is my statement. I love to show the color and beauy in these everyday objects that surround us. I had forgotten that and i feel as though i have gotten lost in details and i think that is why i have been so frustrated.  I can't say that my paintings are going to be different now but hopefully i can work on this. That is what is so great about painting everyday. I have a lot more practicing to do!!

oranges 5"x7"

empty cup 6"x8"

the lone apple 6"x8"

Glass coffee mug 5"x7"

This is an older painting. I don't know why but i love to paint with pink.

stacked up 11" x 14"

I am not sure how i feel about this one yet. I had the teacups in grays and whites but it seemed so flat. So graphic. This morning i went back and worked on it a little more and added and also probably exaggerated the colors i saw reflected. The teacups then started to feel more dimensional. I was reading "hawthorne on pianting" last night so maybe that had something to do with it. Hawthorne was talking about putting color next to color to build the painting. Also i was reading about having more fun and using a bigger brush. I've been painting so small for a while i had begun to feel somewhat boxed in and trying to pay more attention to detail. That really isn't me.

salt and pepper shakers 5"x7"

I am happy with my painting for the day. It is a relief to have a day that doesn't feel as though you battled through the work. I moved the table I use for setting up still lifes to another wall and I think that helped with the way the light from the window fell on the still life. I really wasn't in the mood to paint today after struggling for hours yesterday and just not getting it right. I had to make myself. It is like those days you don't feel like going to the gym but you make yourself go anyway and you are so happy you did. There are daily painters out there who have been doing this for years and have produced hundreds of paintings. I can't imagine that. I hope I can make it that long. I would like to see a comparison of their earlier work to present time and see how they have changed.

squash 5"x7"

This is actually one I painted a while ago. I was having problems with the one I have been working on today.

salt shakers 5"x7"

I went out over the weekend to find some more still life stuff. I bought this red fiesta salt shaker. I love fiestaware. I love the bright colors. When I was painting this i was wearing a blue shirt. That is the blue you see reflected in the salt shakers.