Plum Delicious

Plum Delicious - 6 x 6 Oil on Gesso board

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One of my favorite things about summer is summer fruit: plums and peaches in particular.  There's nothing like the taste.  And fresh fruit from the farmers' roadside stands...  Ambrosia!

On The Chopping Block

On the Chopping Block - 6 x 6 Oil on Gesso Board

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It’s been a busy year. My new task earlier this year was to go out and find a job...  but easier said than done apparently.  After much searching and no finding, I decided to go back to school.  So along with my job search, I’ve now been taking classes.  And, I signed up for a two-person mixed-media show at a local gallery and got involved in a sizeable art project with some local Milford artists for Michigan’s own Art Prize.  (If you are in Grand Rapids during Art Prize, check it out in the Harris Building. It’s called “Connected: Art From a Spiritual Perspective”.)  

But I am done with all that for the moment and taking a little break. I will be back to school full time in September, but for a week or two anyway, I am going to do some daily painting… doggonit.  I have missed all the daily painting and blogging and comments and the whole DPW community.

The piece above was done a few months ago when I had a spare moment.  Just wanted to make sure I hadn't forgotten everything I learned about oil painting!

Tea, a Drink with Jam and Bread

Tea, a Drink with Jam and Bread - 6 x 6 Oil on Gesso Board

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...minus the bread because it just wouldn't fit in the composition.  (And now I will be humming that song in my head for the next few days:)  Here's another way to solve the label dilemma: just take the label right off!  I took the back label off and it made for better colors... a nice primary palette with red, blue and yellow.

Three to One

Three to One - 6 x 6 Oil on Gesso Board

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Time flies!  It's been over a month since I last posted.  Truth is, I've been sort of changing gears.  Out of necessity, I've been brushing up on my software skills and looking for a job.  But I really started missing doing the daily paintings, or much of any art for that matter.  And really, sort of getting depressed over it.  So, I did three pieces this week: two for a local show that I wanted to enter, and this one of the good ol' apples to shake off some of the rust and get the gears going again.  I am hoping to be able to continue with the art during the whole process.  Wish me luck :)

Cologne Bottles

Cologne Bottles - 6 x 6 Oil on Gesso Board

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These little cologne bottles of my husband's have been hanging out in my studio for a while, waiting to be painted (he's not using them anymore :)  There are a whole collection of them—part of a set I bought for him years ago, with a nice variety of shapes and colors.  So when I saw the DPW challenge for this week—glass—I thought "perfect time to paint these bottles!"  The shadows were interesting too, especially looking through the bottle on the right to the shadow in back of it—it had a minimizing effect.  Fun exercise!

Siamese Mix

Siamese Mix - 6 x 6 Oil on Gesso Board

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A friend of mine who just started up her own photography business, recently came over to take some photos of our cats for her portfolio.  This painting is from one of her photos of our Zora.  My friend really has a way with animals, because Zora just sat there politely on a pillow and posed for her to get off several shots... amazing!  She got a few of Bonita also, but Belleza, as per her m.o., was missing in action :)

Zora is a Siamese-American Domestic Shorthair mix... or something like that.  She has the trademark gorgeous blue eyes, but when the pupils are dilated they actually look red, and it's not just the camera--they are glowing red.  It's kinda scary actually!  But when you get to know her, she's a real sweetie.

Sweet Medicine

Sweet Medicine - 6 x 6 Oil on Gesso Board

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I've heard that honey has some great nutritional benefits: antioxidant, anti-bacterial, energy-boosting... I've even heard that you can use it for a hangover cure.   So how can something that tastes that good actually be good for you??