All at Sea

All at Sea
Oil on Panel
6x6"

I did do a painting yesterday, but I wasn't too happy with it so I didn't post it. I ordered new paints and used them for the first time - not too successful really. It could have been that my heart wasn't in it too, because today they worked great. Sometimes if I don't paint first thing in the day, I just can't change gears well enough to start later on.

I went to a farmer's market in the morning over in Gardnerville, to look for 'props'. It's a great excuse to buy beautiful fruit, some of which I have no idea what they are. I managed to only eat a cherry yesterday, but today I weakened quite spectacularly. I was busy arranging the still life for today, moving the peaches here and there, standing back, move the cantaloupe, change it's angle....I picked up the plum and before I thought about it I had juice dripping down my chin. It was divine. Organic fruit that hasn't been tinkered with or prettied up is just so much more delicious than crappy supermarket fruit. I will eat all the fruit I've bought, I just want to paint it first!

Ray of Light

Ray of Light
Oil on Panel
6x6"

I'm really enjoying the translucence and opaque qualities of these fruit still lives. It's a great challenge to capture light coming through something, but funnily enough, the cantaloupe slice was the easiest part of this one to paint - a few strokes and it was done! I really had to stand back and make myself not touch it again, partly refusing to believe it had worked so quickly. The apple was another matter though, steadfastly refusing to take shape, and threatening mud at every stroke.

Navigation

Navigation
Oil on Panel
6x6"

I sat looking at this one last night wondering what to call it, and it occurred to me that the cantaloupe slices looked like boats navigating their way around rocks in still waters. Yes, I had drank a glass of wine, but I stand by the comparison today.

Radishes (i)

Dance of Life
Oil on Canvas
60x40"

Just got back from a weekend in Yosemite Valley...wow...! I'm very inspired but didn't even pick up a pencil while I was there, I just didn't know where to start. I just wanted to take it all in without having to decide which tiny frame to focus on this time. I took photos though, and plan to return for a painting trip maybe in the Fall when it's a bit cooler.

It was a little disconcerting going back into the studio after the huge landscapes I've been painting in my mind for the past few days. Every amazing thing I saw, I tried to imagine what kind of composition I could use to capture it, and what brushstrokes I'd use. I started out by finishing off my Kokanee painting, which was finally dry enough to work on. I used traditional brushes for the majority of it, and then went in with the wide foam wedges right at the end. I love the marks you can make with those things, and it's a real physical sort of process - straight arm, big sweeping gestures. All the rhythms are already there in the underpainting, so it's a case of feeling where more definate directional marks should go, to create an excitingly musical composition. I call it 'The Dance of Life' - after all the fish are spawning!

Radishes (i)
Oil on Panel
6x6"

I've been wanting to paint these guys for ages - one of the other artists, Pam, on the painting course in Santa Fe did a fabulous one of radishes, and they've been on my mind ever since.

Recollections

Recollections
Oil on Panel
6x6"

I'm really happy with this painting! it was kind of complicated and simple at the same time, like a jigsaw. I really enjoyed making the space between the cherries, it was like a journey. I'm really keen on the black cherries and red apple, the darker reds just suck in the light and create amazing shapes which are almost silhouettes. The title refers to the feeling of deja vu I keep experiencing with these cherry paintings, I think my mum had a an LP with a picture of some cherries on it when I was a kid. My paintings are often littered with memories and people I've known.

Cherry Heaven

Cherry Heaven
Oil on Panel
6x6"

I was really into the idea of warm and cool colours for this painting - and I'm kind of pleased with it, but I feel like it's a bit confusing to the eye. I was at the farmer's market a couple of days ago when I found these cherries - 'Bing Cherries' they're called. The two different colours looked great in the bowl, and on both the blue and the pink coloured tissue so I thought I'd experiment. The great thing about these little paintings is that I do feel like I can experiment, it's not so committing as a big expensive canvas with thick paint on it. The big kokanee I'm working on, however, does feel a little pressurised. I'm happy with it so far but I keep finding other things I have to do so I'm procrastinating a tiny bit...part of that is genuinely having to let the layers dry so the colours don't get muddy - I want it to be really saturated and fresh looking.

Iris (ii)

Iris (ii)
6x6"
Oil on Panel

I started on a big Kokanee painting today. I think it's going to be weirder than I though going from 6 inches to 6 feet. It's fun though, and I think the precision of the smaller works will help refine my looser big works - and the big work will loosen my small works. That's what I'm hoping anyway. I painted some little cherries after I'd laid down the colours and shapes on the big canvas. I definately felt less 'linear' after warming up with a 4" brush. I'll post the cherries tomorrow and maybe some of the process of the kokanee if I'm feeing brave.

Iris (i)

Iris (i)
Oil on Gesso Panel
6x6"

I saw so many Irises in Santa Fe that I had to have a go at painting them - so beautiful!