Swain's Lock Winter Water - SOLD

Swain's Lock Winter Water Oil on Canvas Panel, 12" x 16" SOLD at $65.00 plus shipping. I'm always pleased when collectors ask me to repeat an image from earlier. It gives me a chance to go back and compare, and see (with interest) how much my painting has changed over these past couple of years. Tomorrow I'll have been at this for two years. Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 be a great year for each and every one.

Bridge View - SOLD

Bridge View Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20" SOLD I have one collector (patron really) who has discovered my older paintings, and has gone back through some of the early unsold work and is scooping up some of the nicer ones. This is such a one. It was originally posted in November of 2007, then revised and offered again in the early spring. Now I've refreshed it again. I do sometimes really like working over the older pieces, if they have "good bone structure" like this one did.

Fruit Plate - SOLD

Fruit Plate Oil on Canvas Board, 10" x 12" SOLD at $65.00 plus shipping. I really like these colors. The reds and greens are just so happy together. A little touch of turquoise, a smidge of yellow... and lots of light. Something crisp in mind as this year ends, and a fresh new slate for each and every one. Are you resolving yet?

Almost Monochromatic Pears - SOLD

Almost Monochromatic Pears Oil on Canvas Panel, 8" x 10" SOLD at $40.00 plus shipping. In connection with my upcoming classes in Beginner Oils, I am doing some value studies in one or two colors. This one was done with two colors plus white: Burnt Umber and Terra Rosa. The reddish tones are from the Terra Rosa paint. Doesn't it look like a tinted photo? I thought someone might think it was cool.

Pink Rose Watercolor - SOLD

Pink Rose Watercolor Watercolor on Arches CP paper, 7" x 7" image area SOLD at $35.00 plus $5.00 shipping. A small painting today, and since I had my watercolors out anyway, figured I'd try a rose. I didn't quite get the glow I was after, but I like the little rose anyway. Hope you are enjoying the days after Christmas with family and friends, and a spot of vacation.

Palmetto Fronds - SOLD

Palmetto Fronds Watercolor on Arches 140 Cold Press Paper, 12.5" x 19" SOLD at $85.00 plus shipping. I haven't done a watercolor in awhile, and my daughter's beautiful and colorful palmettos have been calling me since we moved here in July. I've taken lots of photos of them, and decided today for a change of pace, to draw one out. It took me lots longer to paint than I anticipated, but all those little spaces, well... The palmettos are actually a lot bushier and fuller than this, but I like it anyway. It just means I'll try it again. It can certainly be cropped to a more standard size.

Christmas 2008 - SOLD

Christmas 2008 Oil on Canvas Panel, 10" x 12" SOLD at $50.00 plus shipping. "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us..." Amazing the Love. Christmas blessings to all.

Road from the Orchard 4 - SOLD

Road from the Orchard 4 Oil on Canvas Panel, 12" x 16" SOLD at $50.00 plus shipping. This one is larger than yesterday's painting, and here I attempted to use the crispness in the details but still have a sense of impressionistic mystery, some blurred edges, to let the viewer use his own imagination. It is on hold, as the collector who has requested this image decided against yesterday's piece, and I thought to try again. Not a very Christmasy image, but I do hope you are all enjoying a meaningful and joyful Christmas Eve day.

Road from the Orchard 3

Road from the Orchard 3 Oil on Linen Panel, 11" x 14" Available at $40.00 plus shipping. This is the third of the same scene. The collector who requested it loves detail, so this one has more careful leaf formation and a bit more detail in the trunk and branches of the main tree. Just generally a slower piece with more small brush work. It is a bit warmer in person than this photo shows. What do you think? Do you like the detailed work? Update: The collector has decided on a larger version or a different scene, so this one is available.

Winter Rose - SOLD

Winter Rose Oil on Canvas Board, 10" x 12" SOLD at $50.00 plus shipping. This is actually the same rose I have painted before, but from a different view. I came across the stray photo when I was hunting for something else. My studio is like that, and really hasn't been reorganized since I jumbled everything off low spaces and tucked away as much as I could before the hurricanes this past fall. So hunting is a pretty normal activity for me, LOL.

Valley Greens - SOLD

Valley Greens Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20" SOLD.. Lots and lots of greens. Another possible protoype painting for a larger version.

Brook Path, Diptych - SOLD

Brook Path, Diptych

Oil on Canvas Panels, each 8" x 10"

SOLD the set at $40.00 plus shipping.

Still working with the panorama idea, but I didn't have any square canvases. This represents an imaginary place, patched together from a bunch of my photos. It was a complete struggle, since I read in the brochure that you can mix the water soluble oils with regular oils. Well, make that "sort of" because the two did not play nicely together for me. It is chemically feasible, but it got either very slimy or quite tacky in the doing.

Christmas Apple - SOLD

Christmas Apple Water Soluble Oils on Canvas Panel, 6" x 8" SOLD at $20.00 plus shipping. Still messing around with the water miscible oils, to see what I can do with them, and the limited palette. A small and simple painting today.

Woodland Panorama - NA

Woodland Panorama Water Soluble Oils on Stretched Canvas, 8" x 16" Not Available. Since some of my students will be working in water soluble oils, I found a small, student grade set on sale and also picked up a Thinner and a Medium for the paints. I figured I had better at least try them out, so I can relate to the students who are using them. I am also in the planning stages for a diptych that will be proportionate to this small one, and thinking in terms of what will work for that. So this piece is experimental in two ways. The paints act quite differently than my oil based oils. To me, at this stage anyway. Maybe the artist grade paints act more like oils, I'll find that out.

Poinsettia 2 - SOLD

Poinsettia 2 Oil on Canvas Panel, 8" x 10" SOLD at $40.00 plus $5.00 shipping. Isn't this one a little gem? I decided to try again with the poinsettia and be more concerned with the values than the actual colors. Even though the colors aren't correct, they "read" right, and I think that's due to the values.

Poinsettia - SOLD

Poinsettia Oil on Stretched Canvas, 10" x 10" SOLD at $50.00 plus shipping. Have you actually ever heard anyone pronounce this correctly? Don't we all say "point..." when it's actually "poin...". I know I do. Anyway, the trick with this one was trying to get the light red bright enough to suggest the velvety intense color while still using little to no white. I think I'm going to try it again, and see if I can't improve the color, though I'm happy enough with this one.

Apples in Bowl by Bev Halpert - SOLD

Apples in Bowl by Bev Halpert Oil on Canvas Board, 8" x 8" SOLD. I've used this little pottery bowl before, and it's got such a nice shape and color (lovely glazing) that I decided to use the stripes and apples again with this pottery. Fun to paint with all the variations in the glaze. The bowl was done by potter Beverly Halpert.

Blue Glass with Apples - Sold

Blue Glass with Apples Oil on Stretched Canvas, 12" x 12" SOLD at $75.00 plus shipping. One of my collectors liked the Apples in Red, White and Blue from the other day, and asked if I would be doing another, so this one is for Nancy if she wants it. This time there are three apples, and the lighting and fabric are a bit different. Still fun to do though, i am liking how these are turning out.

The Color "Sky" 2 - SOLD

The Color "Sky" 2 Oil on Gesso Board, 8" x 10" Sold at $30.00, includes shipping Someone had asked me if there would be another painting similar to The Color Sky that I did a couple of weeks ago. I remember registering the request in my head, but now can't find the email, so don't remember who asked for it. If it was you, here you go. Different, but similar, focusing on the colors of an evening sky.

Apples in Red, White and Blue - SOLD

Apples in Red, White and Blue Oil on Stretched Canvas, 12" x 12" Sold at $75.00 plus shipping. I like this one. The stripes always seem so appealing. I actually didn't realize it was so July 4th in color until I was well into it. Maybe I should have called it "Confused Apples," since this one is confused about the holiday. (Or maybe it's the painter...)

Road from the Orchard 2 - SOLD

Road from the Orchard 2 Oil on Canvas Board, 11" x 14" Sold at $40.00 plus shipping. Often I like to work in a small series, and this one I did in early November, but didn't post it. It's a second version of the post from Halloween day, more blended, more soft, and a bit more carefully rendered. Since we had snow this morning in Louisiana, and the studio is unheated, my paints and fingers are too stiff to make much headway on the painting I started this morning. I'll plug along with frequent trips into the house to warm up, and maybe have it done tomorrow.

Magnolia 4 - SOLD

Magnolia 4 Oil on Stretched Canvas, 10" x 10" SOLD. Another magnolia in the square format, by request. Are you getting tired of these white flowers yet? I try to make each one a bit different, and that's a challenge. Busy today getting my lesson plans done for the class, which is already a lively group, even though we haven't "officially" started yet.

Red Pine Path - SOLD

Red Pine Path Oil on Canvas Board, 10" x 12" SOLD at $40.00 plus shipping. I've done this one before, I think I shot the photo in Maryland, but it could have been Massachsetts. Anyway, I used some transparent colors in this one, primarily the path itself, and doesn't it glow a bit? White of the canvas shining through.

Saltpepper 3 - SOLD

Saltpepper 3 Oil on Canvas Panel, 5" x 7" SOLD at $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping. Last one, I promise, for a while anyway. I'm not sure why this is an appealing subject matter, but I've had such fun with making every one a bit different.

Saltpepper - NA

Saltpepper 2 Oil on Canvas Panel, 8" x 8" Not available, reposted on 10/13/2010 I am really having fun with this subject matter. It's fun to "stretch" the color tones, exaggerating every small nuance, and as long as the values stay corect, that just feels like fun in the painting.

Beginners Oil Painting Class

Beginners Oil painting Class.

I've mentioned before about the Online Beginners Oil Painting Class that I was exploring, and it looks like there is enough interest to make it worth doing. So, that said, here are the details.

We will organize around a Yahoo Group where I'll post the lessons and exercises. This will also allow each student to create a folder where they can post their homework to be viewed by me and the class. Discussions will be held here as well. Questions and answers can be posted here.

The class will run for six weeks. Our start date is September 14, 2009. It can run straight through for six weeks, or at the discretion of the class, we may extend the class to allow more time. The cost is $75.00 for the six weeks. Payment can be made here by using the button in this posting. (update: start date for latest session is March 18, 2010) I am an experienced teacher, having taught Adult ed classes and Leisure learning classes for about 20 years, here and there. I am hoping for a good group, and I really think this could be a lot of fun. Come and join us!

"Saltpepper" = NA

"Saltpepper" Oil on Canvas Panel, 8" x 8" Not Available. A little looser piece after all the careful white florals from the past few days. (there is one that hasn't yet been posted, but it's sold.) I did this one with one round bristle brush, so it was be necessity a bit more line oriented. (Round brushes are the ones that come to a point.) This one is called "Saltpepper" in honor of Max, who uses just one word when he asks for Salt and Pepper at the dinner table. He's five.

Magnolia Three - SOLD

Magnolia Three Oil on Stretched Canvas, 10" x 10" SOLD at $40.00 pus shipping. A little one today with a creamier feel to it. I am definitely getting my painting time from this little fake flower I bought.

Magnolia in Blues - SOLD

Magnolia in Blues Oil on Canvas Panel, 10" x 12" SOLD at $75.00 plus shipping. This one was done as a request that didn't quite fit the bill, so I'll do another. But the effect I was going for was the fake magnolia that I've been paintig in very cool, blue light. I like the effect, the petals feel both velvety soft and solid.

Apple Metaphor - SOLD

Apple Metaphor Oil on Canvas Panel, 8" x 8" SOLD at $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping. The Gala apples have such color variety that I wanted to contrast the red ones against one of the golder ones. You can figure out the metaphor, I'm sure. Just a small painting today.

Delicate Balance - SOLD

Delicate Balance Oil on Stretched Canvas, 11" x 14" SOLD. This one just turned out clean looking to me. And kind of patriotic too, with the red, white and blue motif. But what I was really working on was the bowl. The way I had the set up for this one, I was looking a bit down and almost backwards at it when I drew if out, and the bowl really, really looked like this. It didn't "seem" right, but I decided to draw and paint just what I was seeing. And it somehow works, I don't really even spot it now.

Sienna Irises 2 - SOLD

Sienna Irises 2 Oil on Stretched Canvas, 11" x 14" SOLD Another painting by request from one of my floral lovers, a loyal collector. I have been happily painting in a semi-conscious state of mind these past days, as I work through a wonderful resource library of messages and talks from Covenant Life Church. With passion, solid doctrine, and wonderful inspiration, these messages fill my mind while my hands paint. Very cool. Check out the library here if you're so inclined: http://www.covlife.org/resources/#panel5

"Mommy, Scatch"

"Mommy, Scatch", Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20", Not For Sale

This is my daughter's Christmas gift from me this year. It's Katie Grace in Mommy's lap, asking as she often does, for her belly to be scratched. She'll lift up her shirt for you. This particular morning, she was so relaxed and sleepy sitting in my daughter's lap, she had a lovely, dreamy look on her face. It doesn't lool exactly like her, and I want to add a bit more yellow to her skin tones, but I'll let it dry first, instead of trying to do something with the half-dry paint. All in all, my daughter and I are both happy with it.

Little Shore Scene, Revised - SOLD

Little Shore Scene, Revised Oil on Stretched Canvas, 10" x 10" SOLD at $30.00 plus shipping. One of the nice things about having a backlog of paintings is that you can let them sit for awhile, and things that can improve with changes show themselves later. This little shore scene is crisper now, cleaner looking. And since I'm working on a large portrait painting, this little guy is perfect for today.

Green Glass Jar - SOLD

Green Glass Jar Oil on Stretched Canvas, 10" x 10" SOLD This one was done by request, and even though it's already sold, I wanted to post it, since it turned out so nicely. Isn't it fresh? Nice and crisp, I think.

Holly's White Floral - SOLD

Holly's White Floral Oil on Canvas Panel, 12" x 16" SOLD One by request. I've done this one before, and it turned out just as nice. It's a very dramatic photo, so I found it fairly straightforward to paint. Hope you are all enjoying a nice, relaxed day after Thanksgiving day. Did you do the Black Friday thing?

Flash of Fall - SOLD

Flash of Fall Oil on Stretched Canvas, 14" x14" SOLD at $50.00 plus shipping. This is a new technique for me, I'm calling it "deliberate messy" and it's harder than it looks. The paint is applied in a very loose, calligraphic style, but placed where it is deliberately. A touch and swoosh here, a dot there, a streak over there. I based it at first on the feeling of driving past things that pass in a blur, and was going to sweep through all the thick colors to make it seems streaked. I didn't get quite that far, and like it just as is. There's a lot of paint on this one.

Peppers on Grey - SOLD

Peppers on Grey Oil on Stretched Canvas, 14" x 14" SOLD at $60.00 plus $15.00 shipping. Sometimes, when I don't have the next painting in mind firmly, I like to look at older work, and see if there's anything to be done. I've always liked the look of this one, the placement of the peppers, but it had a dual paper background that made it busy. So I've revised it, and touched up the colors of the peppers as well. I like it much better.

Monday Pastoral - SOLD

Monday Pastoral Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16' x 20" Sold at sale price of $50.00. Detail Below. This one is actually a preparation painting for a larger version in a 30" x 40" size. The collector wanted a sense of greens and gold tones, so I used a lot of oranges and ochre tones. I also wanted a quietness and soft light, not too crisp. Like the air is balmy. I like the variety of greens in it, and that sweet little pond tucked into the valley. I plan to put cows there in the larger version.