Second Pin Cushion Study

4" x 4",  house paints on watercolor paper

A new, small study of my pin cushion. 

I've been exploring instagram lately and posting more there than here.   

This is how you find my feed but I wasn't sure how to make it an actual link: instagram@gabelkarsten

Tomato Study

Experimenting more with house paints….

and with space...

.

and with painting using a palette knife.

Study of Three Bottles

and possibly the culprit of my allergic reaction when using oils.

Study of a Cup and Spoon

Four versions of a teal cup and silver spoon: 

Study: Sink Rust

A little closer still….

Those rust stains---those beautiful layers of yellows on the white enamel in contrast to the black holes and that scraggly drain---are what got me all started on these studies of our bathroom sink.

Study: Our Bathroom Sink

Some of my first subjects for painting were of the sinks in a house I was renting at the time. From there I went on to paint many different sinks, lots that belonged to my friends and others I found in my travels. Well, here I am again, at my bathroom sink. I'm actually surprised it's the first time I've painted it!

Study of Yellow Flowers and a Jar

Continuing my studies in gray but I couldn't resist adding a little color this time...

Gray Study of Two Cups

With these I tried something different: I premixed my grays.  I made the darkest gray I could with my red, yellow and blue.  Then, using white, I mixed five incrementally lighter shades and started painting. I tried to limit myself to my six choices.  It's a good exercise in really seeing and comparing values.  Since doing these studies, I find myself staring at scenes or objects and imagining how I would paint them in grays.

Gray Study of a Single Cup

Studies in Gray