One More Fig 2015, oil on panel, 6x4 inches.

     As the title says, here's another fig painting; I love painting figs.  I'm still thinking a lot about the color of the background drape.  The background drape is the same in these last three paintings I've posted, but it comes out differently each time.  I'm surprised that such a simple thing could be so challenging to paint and hold my interest as much as it does.  I tell myself that since I paint it so often I should come up with a formula for it, but each time I change my mind about what it looks like. I suppose that it's partly due to the things in front of it being different, and partly because I haven't really nailed it yet.  Not that it matters though, I enjoy the attempt.

Tamarillo

Here's one more that I finished recently.  It's 8x10, oil on panel.

2 Figs 2015, 4 x 6 inches

     I've been getting back into the studio since school started up again, and I've started off with some smaller paintings as sort of a warm up.  This is 4 x 6 inches.  I like the loose quality of the brush strokes and the exaggerated color.  Sometimes I like to see how far I can push the color and still have it seem believable.  I almost always use the same background drape, it's a muted medium brown color, but in this painting I made it a little lighter and greener than I've painted it before, and I like how it looks against the green and purples in the figs.

     I have a few more new paintings to post which I will try to do tomorrow.  I finally bought the new photoshop elements tonight and it took me a while to download it and figure out how to "clone stamp" the sparkles out of this one.  I think I have the hang of it now.  

Speaking at Memorial Art Gallery Thursday, July 30th, at 7:00 p.m.

     

      The big event of my summer is almost here.  I was invited to speak about my work at Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester tomorrow night. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday July 30th. Fellow Ithacan Cary Joseph will also be speaking.  Please come if you are in the area!  My painting Still Life with Starfruit, Blue Vase, and Teapot, pictured above is included in the current Finger Lakes Exhibit at MAG and was awarded the Docent prize!

Painting Auction to Raise Money for Women Swimmin'

     As some of you may know, there is a popular event here in Ithaca each summer called "Women Swimmin'", where about 350 women swim 1.2 miles across Cayuga Lake to raise money for our local Hospice.  I am participating this year in memory of my mother-in-law Joyce Coonrod who died this past March from cancer.  Joyce was helped a great deal by Hospice in Austin Texas.
     My goal is to raise $1,000 dollars for Hospice by August 8th.  To help raise the money I am auctioning two of my paintings on Ebay and donating 100% of the sale price towards that end. So if you can, please bid on one of my paintings, the opening bid for either is just $75.  If you'd rather just donate directly, that would be fantastic too!  The direct link to my fundraising page is just below. There is a link to each paintings auction below each painting.  Thanks and Best Wishes!

My WomenSwimmin' Fundraising Page

 Joyce and I on the day we met in 2003.

"Ludlowville Falls, Late Summer", 20 x 10, oil on gallery wrapped canvas

Live Auction

"2 Jonquils", 14 x 11, oil on canvas

Live Auction

Recent paintings for sale at Memorial Art Gallery

     I'll have these four recent paintings for sale at the Memorial Art gallery store during the Finger Lakes Exhibition this summer.  Please stop by to see them and the large "Still life with Blue Vase, Starfruit, and Teapot" which was juried into the show.  

 Strawberry with Reflective Bowl, oil on panel 8x10

 Green Pear 2015, oil on canvas, 7x5

Radish, oil panel, 5x7

Seckel and Bartlett, oil on canvas, 10x10

Seckel and Bartlett

One more, done a couple of weeks ago.  "Seckel and Bartlett", 10x10, oil on canvas.