Three Tomatoes oil on claybord 5×7″ $100
Here’s the latest in my kitchen series. I can’t believe how much longer it sometimes takes me to do a tiny still life than to slap down a landscape! The tomatoes were pretty much finished before I was. I did a grisaille underpainting for this one because when you paint something red it’s hard to lighten it afterward without making the light parts too pink. Anyway, I had fun with it. That’s a box top the butter dish is resting on.
Our wonderful postmaster has made the post office something of a community center. There’s coffee, often sweets, art by local painters, and several women who meet weekly to knit. I wish I knew how so I could join this jolly group. ( I guess if you grow up in south Georgia where it’s too hot for wool people just aren’t as into knitting.)
Recently I mentioned to a friend that I have a “Life in Vt.” section of my blog and she said she had a photo that would be perfect. To give you a little background–last October I posted a picture of the local piglet who was visiting the post office at the time and eating the candy corn on offer there. This, if you can believe it, is the same pig 3 mos. later. Four women, two dogs and the pig went out fora little cross country skiing. I hate to have to tell you that this pig will be pork chops in the near future, but it has been very gently raised.
Three Turnips and a Purple Saucer oil on claybord 5×7″ $100
Still life painters seem to need to paint pears and turnips. I’ve painted lots of pears but never turnips so I felt it was just time. Setting up arrangements for the kitchen series is fun because it forces me to think of different possibilities for presenting foodstuff. Fruits and vegetables sort of take on personalities while I’m observing them so closely. I was tickled when I realized that the saucer under an African violet would be a nice purple to go with the color of the turnips. Fortunately they lasted long enough to roast along with parsnips, carrots and onions.
Ginger Man oil on claybord 5×7″ $100
I’ve wanted to paint ginger for a long time. I thought this piece was vaguely anthropomorphic and then when I started to paint I realized it had a face! I may have emphasized the features just a trifle, but basically this is what it looked like. In my opinion ginger is right up there with garlic as a culinary essential.
Garlic Pot oil on claybord 5×7″ $100
I’ve been working on huge landscapes but in between while waiting for them to dry I’ve started a new series of still life paintings. I found a lot of little 5 x 7″ claybord supports I bought for painting flora of the forest floor. So I thought while snow covers everything outside I could use the claybord for still life paintings of edibles. You’d think that a small painting would be easier to dash off but actually it takes longer than some regular-sized landscapes. It’s very good practice for noticing all the subtleties of forms. And the little pieces prop up nicely over the doorway to the kitchen where I already have a lot of paintings of fruits and vegetables on the walls. A friend gave me this pretty ceramic garlic keeper and this makes the third painting I’ve done of garlic–tells you how I feel about garlic!
As I may have mentioned I’m fairly obsessed with clouds and if we only had a fast connection I’d join the Cloud Appreciation Society (www.cloudappreciationsociety.org) to get pictures people send in. I’ve read the book–The Cloudspotter’s Guide– but don’t feel very confident about identifying what’s what. Mainly I love the colors and shapes just for themselves. The problem with painting clouds on site is that they of course change in seconds. Occasionally with a small painting I can get something recorded, other times I try to remember, sometimes I get a photo and sometimes I invent them. I’m trying something new here–really BIG paintings. Someday I’ll have a show with space to hang paintings that would be too large for a lot of galleries. In the meantime a friend has said I could store them in her garage. This one is not quite as large as the next one in the series but it gave me a feel for slapping down paint with a big brush.
Rejoice! oil on masonite 27×36″ $850 unframed
Red Onions oil on birch panel 8×10″ Unframed but ready to hang $250
Here’s a little painting I did recently. I hadn’t planned to paint these onions but they looked so good sitting on the counter I had to set them up in a still life. I might have worked longer except I wanted to make a carrot salad! Now they’ll get hung in the kitchen with all the other paintings of fruits and vegetables. I was intrigued by the play of light on the rounded forms and the variation of colors, from red purple to a spot of bright red reflected under a piece of skin.
Lillekat oil on masonite 16×20″ NFS
My granddaughter is crazy about cats. For some girls her age it’s horses but not for Emma. Unfortunately she has asthma and can’t have a cat in the house. But when she visits us I take her to see a neighbor’s cat with whom she seems to have developed a special relationship. I thought a good Christmas gift would be a painting of Lillekat and Emma did seem pleased. Since we’re in Utica and couldn’t photograph in my studio, the glare is worse than usual. Anyway, I liked the composition of the cat on the windowsill with the pink flowers in the garden behind echoed in the cat’s nose.
Nancy’s Studio oil on masonite 18 x 24 $600 unframed
I did this one months ago but forgot to post it. I was on a hill above a friend’s wonderful studio. The shadows were what I particularly liked. Some of the foliage was turning so I had a little color besides the green.
