Cherry Tomatoes

Ellipses with Pear

I've been working bigger for me, that is. This painting is 9x9", but it's not just the size that's different it's the glass and cloth too. This was a challenge and I've been working on it these past few days. I'm glad to be finished!

Mexican Petunia

Bleeding Hearts 2

Bleeding Hearts

I finished listening to Bertie Sings the Blues, which was interesting, lighthearted and profound in the way of McCall Smith and I also finished reading The Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah, which was about what happened to some people from Sierra Leone after a fairly recent war. This book describes a reality that is hard to comprehend from extreme brutality and poverty to intelligent and insightful children and families trying to find hope and thrive within an insane system. I recommend this book.

I'm also working on a portrait of Jerry Garcia for a friend of mine. It's 24x30," which is really large for me and so far I'm working in acrylic. I thought I'd go wild with color and brushstrokes but that hasn't happened yet. Acrylic has the advantage of being easily thinned with water, so it can go on fast. I don't like to use a lot of gamsol in the house even if does it has low fumes, so I have to figure out a way to get my oils flowing. I also had in mind smoke rising because Jerry's smokin of course, but first I wanted to sort out my drawing and values as you can see isn't done yet. I have to use a second photo for his right hand because the hand is cut off in my first pic.Here's a pinterst site about the dead: http://www.pinterest.com/hookakat1/

Apricot and Plums

Listened to Bertie Plays the Blues, by McCall Smith while painting this.

Blue Sky Vine #3

Blue Sky Vine #2

Process recorded.

Blue Sky Vine

Planted this vine about 8 years ago and it's amazing. Grows 50 feet a year. Anyway, I thought I'd try posting my painter's progress, but I forgot after the first picture. Next time I'll take more. I think in the past I didn't have a definite linear type process, but lately I'm developing one. Still listening to Cutting for Stone. Gosh, or should I say Gooshe, those twins were lucky in their adoptive parents.

Colorful Pears

Sold

I'm working a little bigger than I have been. This is a whopping 5x7". Anyway, look forward to eating them. Still listening to Cutting for Stone.

July 2-4

These are what I've been working on during the past few days. I wanted to paint metal. I have a still life set up with a bunch of metal objects and I wanted to practice first. Today I painted pears, but didn't quite finish. Waiting for the day when I can get it right the first time. Hah!
 Still listening to Cutting for Stone. I love the reader and the story even though I've already read it, a couple of years ago, it's still amazing. I'm also reading  Radiance of Tomorrow, which also takes place in Africa. It's really good too, but I think it's going to be sad. I love the title.
Trying to remember where I got this little Buddha head. It's some kind of metal and it seems some how authentic. I love the ears.

PB and J

I painted this for the DPW's weekly challenge. I listened to Cutting for Stone - awesome.

Cute Little Bugger

My talented dad makes these flies, I guess they're called. Anyway this time I painted one and nabbed a few more for further painting. I think it's so cute and when I showed my dad, he said, "cute little bugger," hence the title. That's the extent of my painting for the 2 weeks I spent in NY. I did go to the Met and saw some wonderful paintings. This time I focused on the Dutch paintings, but saw many others including the American wing. Museums used to be a big part of my life until I moved to Fl. I miss them. We also went to the National Gallery in DC where there was a Cassatt and Degas exhibit. Very crowded. They have a wonderful Ingres and I saw a Raeburn painting that knocked my socks off. I also loved the Sargent painting of a forest floor. Wish I could have spent more time there. So now I'm home and have to get back to my painting a day.

Cigar Matches

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 "Just wanted to let you know that I received your painting and love it." 

This was an interesting box of cigar matches that I had fun painting.

Blue Marbles

This is my first NY painting. My mother has a jug of marbles and since I've painted marbles lately I thought I might as well. I guess we bought our marbles at the same time. although it seems like I lost some of mine because I didn't remember half the things she was talking about. You'd think that I, being younger would have better recall, but... My daughter says I need the patch.