Still Life - Shell II

8x11

oil on canvas

available

Not a lot of bright colors happening in my studio these days;  I wonder how much just being surrounded by white/grey snow and sky effects the palette?   I had this shell next to the shell in my previous post and it was interesting to note how different their personalities are.

Still Life - Shell

8 x 11

oil on canvas

sold

I don't know how interested some of you are in technical stuff, but with this painting I was trying out the qualities of different whites. I used the more opaque and bright titanium white for the background, and for the shell I used cremnitz white from Old Holland. This white is a type that many of the old masters used, it is more transparent and I was hoping to get some luminosity from it. I liked it and will keep experimenting.

Three Shells

oil on board   9 x 11

available

It has been one of the coldest and snowiest Decembers in my memory; my little studio has been having a hard time keeping warm and there have been a few days that it was too cold to paint! But mostly its quite cozy;  I have been working on my still-life area, gathering objects that appeal to me, getting various surfaces,  height possibilities, working on lighting.  Tasks that must sound mundane but I love the quiet puttering in my studio.

Hummingbird on Napkin --- sold

5 x 7   oil on board

birdxbird benefit auction

I found this little gal dead on the floor of our barn this Fall.  It makes me sad... she is so beautiful  that I saved her in a little bag in the freezer.   Something everyone should know:  if Hummingbirds fly into a building they go up to the highest point and basically stay up there hovering until they die of exhaustion.   Lots of people have automatic garage door openers and many of them have red handles.  If you leave the door open  hummingbirds are attracted to the red and fly in,  then go up to the ceiling.  I know it seems ridiculous that there is a huge opening that they can fly out, but they don't.   So keep those garage doors closed!  More than once a hummer has flown into Bob's studio and we have had to net it and let it go outside.

I just returned from a trip to NYC to see art!   I am both inspired and overwhelmed.  So today I spent my studio time stretching canvases and cleaning my turp pot and brushes, general organization, and thinking.  

Three Squash

8 x 10, oil on canvas

available