Silver Pitcher & Plum - SOLD

1o x 10 inches, oil on panel

Wow, today was a blast. I went out this morning and bought a bunch of fruit for still lifes at our little neighborhood grocery store, and then checked out a little antique shop around the corner. I ended up buying about 5 different vessels, including this amazing globe pitcher and the little pewter pitcher.

With all the new props to play with my still life just fell together, and over the next 5 hours or so this painting just fell out of my brush.

I'm trying with these recent paintings to let objects melt into the background and into each other, finding as many instances of "passage" as I can, while still retaining the structure of the form. This is the most successful I've ever been at that, and I'm really happy with the painting.

Here are the process shots. I included a shot of the block-in this time, which I usually do in the first 10 minutes and never photograph.

Green Vase with White Roses

10 x 10 inches, oil on panel

I decided to try my hand at a flower arrangement, a subject I've never painted before. Maybe I'll do a longer painting like this one sometime, there isn't time in one day to capture all that detail. But it was fun to experiment with an impressionistic style.

Process shots:

Teapot and White Flowers SOLD

8 x 10 inches, oil on cradled panel

My mom gave me this teapot as a birthday present this year because I said I want to start a collection of teapots. I love the color of this one. Anyone know what these flowers are? They look kind of like roses, but they have no thorns.

Here are the process shots:

Peach on Green SOLD

8 x 10, oil on cradled panel

This painting was a real breakthrough for me. I finally started to feel like my recent investment in intensive drawing study is showing up in the painting.

I had fun with the colors in this one, the pale lavender "fuzz" around the edge of the peach was so satisfying to paint. And the red/orange fruit on the pale green cloth just pops.

"Cradled panel" mean the wood panel has a lip around the edge on the back, so the panel is easy to hang and has a nice hefty depth (about an inch). I need to buy a bunch more this size and larger, it was a much better size to paint on than the tiny panels I've been using.

Daily Painting - Bud in a Bottle

6 x 6 inches, oil on panel

Daily Painting - Apricot

6 x 6 inches, oil on panel

The Daily Painters have a goal - 2000 painting in 30 days! I'm taking the opportunity to get back into my daily painting routine with 4 -5 new paintings a week from June 15 - July 15.

Read the press release here: 2000 Paintings in 30 Days.

Also, check out DailyPainters.com.

Peach Rose on Gray SOLD

6 x 6 inches, oil on panel

Yellow Daisy - SOLD

8 inches x 8 inches, oil on panel

I managed to save the daisy. It looks like a progression from the first session, but it was pretty much painted from scratch today since I wiped the whole thing down a few days ago. It looks so innocent, but I really stressed over this one.

Yellow Daisy (unfinished)

Phase III

Phase II

Phase I

This little daisy in a glass cube vase was supposed to be a quick "daily" but I was having fun with the monochromatic underpainting and decided to slow down & enjoy the process. I've worked on this two afternoons now, just a couple hours a session. Hoping to finish it in one or two more sessions.

I'm really enjoying this one, it feels great to get back to painting after drawing so much recently. It's amazing how much of painting is actually drawing.

Daily Painting: Pear & White Rose SOLD

6 inches by 6 inches, oil on panel SOLD

Today was a rare day in San Francisco: sunny, 85-degrees, no fog, clear blue sky, warm breeze. I just couldn't help but set up my easel in the back yard & paint this little sunny still life sketch. Afterwards I rode my bike through Golden Gate park and down to the beach. Just one of those days everyone you see seems happy to be alive. Happy May, everyone.

Tissue in Lightbox II

6 x 8 inches, oil on panel

Pear SOLD

8 x 8 inches, oil on panel

Tissue in Lightbox I

6 x 8, oil on panel

As much as I appreciate my bank of north light windows, the constant white diffused light can get boring after a while. So with some tips from my RISD friend Scott I set up a light box for myself - basically a cardboard box with an incandescent light shining through a hole onto the still life below. You can see the results of my first attempt with the light box here. I'm looking forward to experimenting more with this new setup.

In line with my 2007 resolution to continue my formal art education, I signed up for a figure drawing workshop with Juliette Aristides, who has just published two books about classical drawing and painting. Five full days of drawing! The workshop is the last week of March, and when it's done I'll post my drawings here.

Pussywillow and Bottles

8 x 8 inches, oil on panel

Pussywillow Leaning

6 x 8 inches, oil on panel

Apple a Day

6 x 8 inches, oil on panel

I've recently been in contact with two old friends from RISD and discovered they have also started exprimenting with the small daily painting practice. Be sure and check out their amazing paintings: Scott Conary and Shawn Kenny.

Tarnished Cup SOLD

5 x 7 inches, oil on panel

Orange Slices in a Dish SOLD

6 x 8 inches, oil on panel

Champagne Cork

5 x 7, oil on panel

I worked a few hours on a new tissue paper painting today, but it was taking too long, I'll have to finish it tomorrow. I did this one as break from the tissue paper series and really enjoyed it.

This was the cork from the toast at our wedding in Italy last year. Nowell aimed it off the loggia and it sailed away into the dark. The next day he hunted the lawn for it and found it.

Aqua Bottle in Tissue SOLD

6 x 8 inches, oil on panel

This is a little square glass ink bottle wrapped in tissue. I love how the aqua glows through the tissue on the right side, so I cropped the composition to focus on this area.