Sweet and Sour

Sweet and Sour
Oil 5x17 hardboard

I usually avoid more than two elements, unless its a landscape, so this was a fun challenge.  I found fruit looses that wonderful sheen when its first cut if you take to long to paint it.  Next time I either have to paint faster or have fruit on hand.  Perhaps maybe a stronger light so that its not to close to the fruit may help. What would probably be the best is to make a shadow box.

The Orange

Orange 1
5x7 panel

Quick 20 minute still life diddle I did while Joe was watching football.  Oil on panel 5x7.  I like the painting though the orange is a tad bit floaty.   Hmm.. Guess I should not have eaten the orange just yet.  ;)  When it drys a bit I'll fix it.

"Color, color everywhere and not a thing to paint."
Sometimes that happens doesn't it?  You find yourself in one of these little ruts and can't seem to find something to paint.  Even though the world is just chock full of things nothing seems to suit.

   I'm trying to shake off one of those little ruts right now.  I've been afraid to paint for the last 4 or 5 months.  Yes, afraid to paint.  Why?  Because people, though meaning well, keep saying things such as, "You have to paint bigger."   Then there is the one I hear most often, "Your paintings are lovely but to win you need to capture more wall space, paint bigger."  I have several large canvases started but don't want to finish.  There is just to much tension to preform going on when I sit down to paint.
  When I was painting for 8 months my mentor gently insisted that I start to enter art shows.  His reasoning?  As a tool to compare my work with other artists to see where I needed improvement and to lean about styles.   He was right, I have learned much from shows.  But, truthfully while its nice to win or place its not necessary.  (Btw.. never say that out loud to an artist who takes winning seriously.) 
   What it all boils down to is this,   I don't want to paint better than other artists I just want to paint better for me.  Wherever that takes my art is where I want to be. 

Ceramic Bird Houses

Took some time to relax and finish the bird houses.  The plant hanger was a perfect find to hang them on.  The bottom has a flat iron wire shelf which you can put a potted plant on it as I did.  The plant gives it a really lovely look whether you put it in the garden or a sunny location inside and it makes the hanger even sturdier.
All the bird houses have nice big clean outs for those who would love to hang them off a tree limb or put them on a post.

Send me an email if you would like one as I am in the process of making different styles right now. 

Giraffe

Giraffe
18X24 oil

I met this fellow at the Naples Zoo.  Got to hand feed him, which was way more than cool. 

I have struggled with this painting for 4 months.  (There are three other giraffes hiding under this one. )   I think the struggling was because of the size of it, 18x24.  It is just plain hard to add interest to large areas that do not have shifts in planes of light.  Learned much and now its time to move on to the next painting.

A little aside about Giraffes:
Such unique animals, aren't they?  Not only to look at, but internally as well.  Did you know that they have special valves in their neck arteries that keeps the blood circulating so it doesn't just keep draining back down to the heart?  God sure knows how to design doesn't he!

Pottery Just out of the oven!

 I have been so busy with creating that posting photos of my artwork and pottery has been lax.  I just keep moving to the next project.

The pottery has most of my attention the past few months with having to get an inventory for the summer shows up north.  Though I now see a bit of daylight and I have been catching up on some much needed r&r with my painting!   Well as least I had a few hours to create the Christmas Kitty posted below.  :)

Christmas Kitty

Purrrfect Christmas
Oil 6x6

The Estero Art League of Florida is hosting the meeting of the Art Council of Southwest Florida.  Members were given a 6x6 canvas to paint something Christmas holiday related to jazz up the meeting and show of member skills. This is my submission.
Normally I don't get excited about my paintings but this one turned out just 'to Cute!'   A fellow artist friend thinks paintings should not be cute.  He is much to serious.. :)