November 25 - Still Life with Roses, Oil

"Flower Joy" Almost square at 15.5 x 16 inches, this is a nice painting full of the joy of flowers in a bouquet, with a pear (oh, those pears!) and some odds and ends. This actually started out as a monochrome painting (one color plus black and white) but I used color to put that final layer on. Very loose handling of paint, too! $300 from my Daily Paintings Web Site for November.

November 24 - Lesson Painting "Morning Fishing" Finished, Acrylic

"Going Fishing" I think I have the painting where I want it now, and again I ask you to compare it to yesterday's unfinished form. It has many more layers of color, and I feel as if the misty feel and the coolness of the weather are in place. The focal point is complete, the two figures, a lady and a man, are loading their gear in the boat for a morning of fishing. This was completely from my head, without any photo reference, so please be kind! I'm off tomorrow to ride and relax, although not going to the desert as planned due to the traffic and so much to do around this house. I'm not disappointed at all, since decorating for the holidays is always a fun time. And my hubby has built some wonderful shelves for frames and canvases, and I need to fill them! $300 from the Daily Paintings web site for November.

November 22 - Lesson Painting, Stage Two, Acrylic

"Second Pass" Ah, the wonders of acrylic paint! Check out the difference between this painting and the one from yesterday. Much has changed, and in my mind's eye, the story is more powerful and the lighting far better as I move toward reaching the goal of telling a story at a particular time of day. Now how did I get that feeling of light so much stronger behind the trees? Contrast. The trees aren't any darker, but the sky became more pure in color. I put cad yellow and cadmium oirange with only a scosch of white to it, and lightened the distant water with the sun's reflection.
And now your eye immediately goes to the two people in the first boat , because it is human nature to look for whatever has a heartbeat in any painting. Before, you'd look over the boats or tree shapes because they repeat with variety. Still more work to do on this one to complete the water and solidify the boats and folks, yet I'm much happier with it now!

November 21 - Lesson Painting, Lake and Boats

"First Pass" I didn't get the first lay-in on this 24 x 30 acrylic, it went so fast, I forgot to take a picture! This is another water painting in acrylics, and will have two fishermen getting into the first boat on the left when it gets further along. They'll have their gear and rods, too. I know what I want to say with this painting, and that's the story of two early risers going out for a morning of fishing on a pine-rimmed lake. A far cry from the dry, warm weather we've been having here, and not at all the desert coming up this weekend. Tomorrow is the American holiday of Thanksgiving, and my beloved spouse and I will spend it quietly together without guests. This is a far cry from the last couple of years, when we went to see my Mom in her assisted living place, where she arranged to have a cadre of her resident friends come together for a table to create a "family". Some of the residents there didn't have close relatives, and were alone. We enjoyed going over, bringing laughter and stories to the holiday table. Tomorrow will be reflection and love right here. I hope yours will also have closeness and sharing.

This first lay in is done COMPLETELY with the cool palette, lots of thinned glazes of alizarin and ultramarine blue and burnt umber. Very loose and yes with enough realism to keep you knowing what is coming. I'll move to the warm palette to add the final sky, the figures and the water reflections...but that's tomorrow!

November 21 - By the Lake, Acrylic

"By the Lake" This painting is also known as "New Front Brakes" because I painted it while waiting for my truck to be serviced before the desert trip on Friday. Turns out more was needed than just an oil change (sigh), Good thing I took my acrylics with me, as I was able to do this 8 x 10 and even prepare four other 8 x 10 surfaces. Never sit around with a magazine if you can paint! My setup was the same as the one I showed you in Hawaii last month, without the tripod. I just put it on a table and painted away. Now if you choose to do this, be sure to take your MP3 player, or iPod, so people won't disturb you. I got all the way through a Stephanie Plum audio mystery!
JUST SOLD to Elyse Hasznos of Parker, Colorado.

November 20 - Desert Light (Palms)

"Desert Light" I will be heading for the desert for a couple of days after Thanksgiving on Thursday, taking the horse, and my camper, and my dog. I've got my mind on the desert landscape, and painted this to set myself up for the fun of going and painting for a few days. I hope to be able to post the daily paintings while I'm there--going out to a coffee shop--but if I cannot do it, I want you all to know I will be busily painting and sending all of them on Sunday.
This 8 x 10 oil is done with Dorland Art Wax, a jar of which I found in the move and set out to use. Dorland's is a great medium to add to paint to create stiffer texture and to increase drying time. It looks and behaves like Crisco, without the melting issue. I bought mine from ASWExpress.com many years ago, yet it is still as good as new. This is a nice little painting--looking over the other desert pieces I've done, it has the best color. $125 from the Daily Paintings Web site for the 20th of November.

November 19 - Single Pear

"One Left" Yes, two of the three from yesterday's painting are gone. How satisfying it is to have a still life setup serve a dual purpose! Feed the muse and feed the artist. This forlorn little pear in its 6 x 6 inch gallery wrap canvas (oil) is the sole survivor of the feeding frenzy after last night's session...ha!

You see some flashes of blue in the upper left side, they weren't in the painting when I photographed it, but I like them so well, I've gone back and added in the color excitement. Sometimes working in several different media can give that ol' artist muse a kick in the tushie. Works for me! $100
SOLD to Jenna Nober of Chevy Chase, Maryland.