Del Giardino

This is one of my latest larger paintings. I like to mix the realism with the abstracted backgrounds. I try to find little pieces that don't get painted, where the toned ground shows through. The play between what's there and what's not, and the abstract vs. the rendered is like a game. It's fun to create, and I hope it's fun to look at. This is oil on canvas, 28x38, for $400.

Three for All

I have been trying to get back into painting after the whole family getting the stomach virus last week. I painted a couple that I haven't had time to post. This one I felt came out well, although I think I need to start jazzing up the backgrounds. This is 9x12", oil on canvas board for $25.

Biting Lemon

I like to comment on the interaction between humans and nature in my work. Generally this means combining tools (and I keep that interpretation vague) and food objects as symbols for human intrusion on the natural world. This 6X8" oil painting is available for $25.

Envious Apple

This is a quick study done in about 45 minutes. I am trying to loosen up again and not get wrapped up in the details. My hope is that over time the paintings will look more "intentional" and less labored. This painting is 6X8" and is in oil. $25 to the first taker.

Painted and Quartered

This is my second small painting since I started painting again. Cabbage is a lot harder to paint than it looks. I thought this was going to be an easy one, but I had to struggle to get the colors and the subtle details. This is also a reminder that painting is like anything else: if you don't practice you lose some of your skills. That is why I am trying to stay committed to painting several small paintings a week.

Painting Again

With the start of my new blog Notenoughours (I know it's missing an H; I'm all for sharing, plus if your like me you don't have the time to type extra letters) I decided to resume my daily painting and blog (not truly every day, the concept refers to completing small paintings every couple of days or once a week to improve fluency with your medium). Last nigh I did a 6"X8" titled Blue in Pears and it is for sale for $40 on Daily Paintworks.

Those of you who know me and my work know I am fond of painting fruit, especially pears.

I started the "daily painting" and blogging a couple of years ago and was pretty good about posting every few days, but then my school work got heavy and I had to stop for a while. I want to resume these exercises to rebuild my "seeing" skills more so than my painting skills. Please check back often to help me stay motivated to keep painting.

Half and Half

The difficulty with painting white subjects is to convey the idea of white without being dull or bland. The meat of the apple isn't truly white, but close enough to be tricky. I left a few spots untreated with lemon juice to get an umber tinge in spots. I then cut back in with a mix of white, cad yellow light, and burnt umber. The shadow side of the quartered apple slice has a nice violet created with ultramarine, alizarin, white and a touch of the local color on the lit side. As with my last few paintings, I toned the ground with burnt umber and covered that with a thin mix of ultramarine, white and burnt umber. The use of burnt umber in each part of the painting gives it a cohesiveness. This is 8x6", oil on canvas panel for $80. Please visit my blog and website. Thanks.

Hot in Traffic

Recently I have been working on more neutral backgrounds with some of the ground color showing through. I like the effect I am getting and hope to explore this further. This composition was difficult to develop. It can be tough to get a good arrangement with an even number of objects, but lately I have felt stagnant using only odd numbers in my compositions. This looked like afternoon traffic on an urban road. It is 6x8", oil on canvas panel for $80. Please visit my blog and website. Thanks.

On Stage

When I looked through the viewfinder, this composition worked. When I finished painting, the placement seemed a little off. The problem with doing these 1 hour, alla prima paintings is I don't step back during the process as I do with my larger works. It is hard to see the flaws when you don't step back or check composition in a mirror. I may return to this one to make corrections (something I never do to my daily paintings) because I like the lighting and color combinations. Please visit my blog or website. Thanks.

Clear View - Sold

I enjoy painting glass, but it can be frustrating communicating all the little nuances without including every detail. My last three paintings have been much more intuitive. I'm guessing the act of painting almost every day helps the process become more intuitive and less analytical. This one is 6x8", oil on canvas panel for $80. Please visit my blog or website. Thanks.

Outcast

Just as with my last painting, this one came almost effortlessly. I enjoy the stark contrast of the blue/orange and the dark/light. The dominant low key value gives an ominous mood and seems to imply the lone clementine is being turned away. This is 6x8", oil on canvas panel for $80. Please visit my blog or website. Thanks.

The Meet

I took last night off to trick or treat with my kids. What a blast/glad it's over. To me this set up looked like some kind of late night, clandestine meet in a vacant lot. It is 8x6", oil on canvas panel for $80. Please visit my blog or website. Thanks.

Domino

I am a former Chef so I looked through my pantry to find objects in the primary colors. This was a quick sketch focused around baking. Domino is 8 x 10" oil on canvas. Any interests should contact me through my website or my blog.