Pine Cones in a Vase, Oil, 6x8

Click To Bid

Another on that kooky background!  These are, again, my Nova Scotia pinecones.  I would have liked the set up to be a little less flimsy - the background would not stay upright in back of the yellow covered box - and instead it rested a few inches away (I should take a photo of my set up) - to get it eye level I have a plastic storage box, with a big phone book, then a tall box on top.  On top of this I drape the cloth or paper, then in back (against the microwave) I lean the background.  So the shadow did not touch the background!  Anyway I went to Kabloom for more flowers - I was going to splurge - but they were closed, so.... the little pine cones filled in.  They are surprisingly hard to do - you can't try to 'draw' the little 'leaves', it'll make you crazy, you have to just kind of look at the light spots and the shadows (which is the best way for me to paint anyway...)  Happy November!

Gerber Daisies in a Vase, 6x6 Oil

Click To Bid

Here's the whole bunch.  I had this fabric from when I went to Carol Marine's workshop, but I never used it there (too much to think about).  I was a bit intimidated with multiple flowers, plus a patterned background, but I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.  Trying also to think about the dominant value (and in this one I think the dominant value is the middle value, with the dark value second and a smidge - Carol's word - of light values).  So at least for now, I'm sticking with simple exercises that incorporate value dominance, color (Munsel color wheel), edges, and of course, composition.  Not to exclude the 'joy' factor (my own term) - each painting I do must have a certain something that makes me 'want it', something that gives me, and hopefully the viewer, a little jolt of joy.