Flowers from life

DP#5

flowers from life

6" x 6" oil on board

This was not easy! For me, a beginner oil painter-from-life....

At times I was just flinging paint on this one, especially the background, which started out waaaay too green...that's when the paint flinging started. And you know- it was better! Lesson learned- sometimes its good to fling paint! But over all, I really struggled with this one. But I am showing the good, the bad and the ugly here! It's my way of learning. And that is my goal, to learn and grow as a painter. 

Pastel sketch of Lake in Monroe

Lake in Monroe

6' x 8"

pastel on paper
SOLD

Today I drove to the lakes in the middle of my town and pulled over. Staying in my car I tried my hand and a quick sketch in pastels. Not so easy but I sure enjoyed it. I'll have to do this more often!

Daily painting # 3 Pear

DP#3 from life

6" x 6"

oil on board

I've always loved painting pears. All the bumps and shadows for endless interest. This pear had company when I first set up the still life, a Chinese lantern plant. But as I got into the pear, the lantern was interfering way to much, so it had to go. That's the beauty of oils, just wipe it away and keep painting! 

daily painting # 2 whelk

DP#2 from photo

6"x6" 

oil on panel

It's not my second painting that I've ever done. But it is my second with the intention of doing a daily painting a day. Maybe not every day, but often and I also want to get looser with my painting.  I took the reference photo a few years ago on Edisto Isand, SC, one of my favorite spots on this earth. The seashells there are plentiful, not like up here on the north east coast. This was just lying there...

Oil painting, small and quick(er)

Apple from life

6x6 oil on board

I started a new weekly painting class today. I am blessed to live in an area where there are many great artists. A few years ago I took some drawing classes with Susan Hope Fogel. Today I started her weekly painting class. I want to focus on oil painting, fast and loose. So today was an apple, a perfect starting place for me. The painting class is from a real life set-ups. I have limited experience with real-life painting.

I don't have the room to do live set-ups in my home studio. I paint from photos except when I do plein air painting. I know that painting from real life will improve my from-photo paintings as the camera cannot see all the color and values that our own eyes can see. The camera also flattens objects. 

Since this is a once-a-week class, I plan to also paint at home between classes, probably using photos, unless I can find room to set up for real-life painting.