#4 Study of Two Pigeons on the Roof

10" x 8" oil on stretched canvas


That's Beetle in the back. I'm happy to report that she was out flying today and seems to be doing well.

#3 Portrait Study of Beetle

5 1/2" x 5 1/2" Oil on panel

This is my last portrait of Beetle as we returned her to the loft and then out to fly again---hopefully she's all better.  While I was painting, her loft companions would visit us.  It was quite entertaining to have a small flock bobbing about my feet or on the porch railing. So why I did this, I'm not sure---I took a break and left my cigar box easel with the palette and painting open and exposed. I returned thirty minutes later to find one of the pigeons had stepped all over the palette then apparently climbed on the painting. There was paint everywhere and the painting was scratched all over and speckled with paint.  I just sat down with a sigh and began cleaning up and then scrapped the painting (I wish I would have taken a photo) and started again.  I hadn't initially intended to do a background but the residual paint strains from the scraping inspired me to do so.

#2 Study of Beetle

6" x 5" Oil on panel

Hanging out with Beetle again this afternoon. Tried to capture her resting although she doesn't sit still for too long.  I like watching her stretch. She'll fan her tail feathers while opening both wings or she'll stick out a leg to the side as she opens one wing---that's my favorite move, it always makes me want to stand and stretch myself.

Portrait Study of Beetle

6" x 5" Oil on panel

This is our juvenile pigeon named Beetle that we've been nursing back to health. She's been recuperating in a big cage on our porch which gave me the perfect opportunity to observe her closely and attempt this little study. When pigeons are young their eyes are tannish brown. As they age they become more and more yellow-orange.  Her eyes just starting turning this week.

Something Different

I've been painting quite a bit  but I haven't been happy with the outcomes.  I've done a lot of wiping away of hours of work and feeling frustrated,  but I am super excited about these eggs I dyed a week ago and thought I would share them.   My boys and I dyed a dozen boiled white eggs with regular food coloring, vinegar and water.  Once they felt theirs were finished they ran off to play, while I remained planted at the kitchen table with my array of coffee cups and puddles of dye dipping, soaking and holding still for at least another hour. These three I couldn't bare to crack and eat  but now that I've taken photos, they'll be gone tomorrow.

They remind me of my days as a printmaker where I would do multi-plate monotypes.  Even though they would be carefully planned and imagined there were often pleasant surprises when I lifted the paper up off the plate---a way a color mixed or a line intersected with another---making these eggs brought back those fond memories.  

Coffee Cup and an Incoming Storm

4 1/2"  x  6 3/4", oil on linen mounted on panel

About twenty years ago I went to this giant city garage sale and this little cup was the only thing I came away with.  It's one of my favorite cups for tea.

Pink Soap

7" x 5" oil on panel

Study: Unintended Two

3 3/4" x 3 1/2",  oil on linen mounted on panel

This was a quick study of originally three tangerines. The third was on the right with its peel detached and curling down.  I was barely into the painting when the peel began to distort--- a lot.  I thought I could remember how it was but with just a few wrong brush strokes it looked too weird. I tried to fix it but it began to lose the sketchy and thinly painted quality I was aiming for---now the right was over worked in comparison to the left.  Darn it. I liked the composition and I liked so much of the linen exposed which I couldn't then fix.  I put it aside and was about to toss it when I thought, what it I just cut it off. And there you have, my unintended tiny painting of two tangerines.

Opened Tangerine

                    

4 1/8" x 4", oil on linen mounted on panel

I've painted a lot of tangerines, but I thought this one really had appeal.  Thanks for coming, I'll be here all week.

Tangerine Seeds

4" x 4 1/2", oil on linen mounted on panel

These sweet, small tangerines have an average of thirty seeds each. I ended up juicing most of them, but we did eat lots as well.  I only have a handful left and they're looking a bit tired. Maybe one or two paintings more…. I know---you can buy them at the store, but not like these, these are special: handpicked, lumpy, bright leaves, long stems, full of seeds, super tasty.

Study of a Single Tangerine

Playing with some clear primed linen...

5"x 4 1/2", oil on linen mounted on panel

Study of Three Tangerines

3 3/4" x 6 1/2", oil on linen mounted on panel

Lone Tangerine

5"x 3 1/2", oil on linen mounted on panel

I tried again with the black and blue background and painting at night with one light source. Usually I have my still life set up within arm distance from me but his time I placed it about eight feet away.  I liked it this way, I'm going to explore this more though, I'm sad that my tangerines are on their way out---I only have a few remaining with their leaves intact.

A Long Stem & Two Tangerines

4 x 7 1/2 inches, oil on linen mounted on panel

So this one I painted during the day again with two natural opposing light sources and again really struggled with the colors. And, I tried a mixture of black and blue for the background which is very different for me---I seldom use black. Maybe I should of scrapped this one but there are parts I like: the leaf on the right, the stem, the 2x4.

A single tangerine

5" x 3 1/2",  oil on linen mounted on panel

This one I painted in the evening with only one light source which made it easier to see the contrast. The previous tangerines were painted during the day with light from two opposing windows. I'm going to keep painting these guys to see if I can figure out how to arrive at one I really like.

Conjoined Tangerines

4 1/2 " x 4 1/2", oil on linen mounted on panel

Our friends let us raid their tangerine tree that was so laden with fruit it made the tree looked more orange than green.  Now I have a whole bowl of subjects all waiting to have their portraits done...

Double Study of Pink Soap

5 3/4 " x 6",  acrylic house paints on panel

A little painting and more framed pieces

 I really like the shape of soap dispenser bottles….

6"x 6", oil on panel



and some more framed pieces that are in my show of my double series:

Frames, A Show and Halloween

We hung my show today.  Here are a few of the pieces I framed for it.  Even though it's a lot of work, I really enjoy making the frames (especially the sanding part) and then the end result, the resting of the painting in the frame, is so satisfying.

And my boys as Spy Vs. Spy for Halloween-

Lunaria #4

11" x 8", oil on paper

I'm preparing for a show in November so I won't be posting much for the next few weeks….

Frog Toy

4" x 6", oil on canvas panel

I've always been fond of this wooden pull toy and have thus held onto as it has collected dust. So this is a small, parting portrait before this guy is passed along to another family...

Revisiting

Stand Oil

7" x 5", oil on panel

I had painted this same stand oil bottle when it was new a couple years ago.  I recently came across that painting and I remembered I was never that happy with it.  So, on this overcast, rainy day, I painted over it---the new got some character, slimmed down and hopefully transformed into a better painting. Below was my first attempt :

2012

Raspberries

 in an espresso cup...

4" x 6" oil on canvas panel

6" x 4 1/2" oil on panel


A break from the Lunaria to do a little still life of an old can of bird seed.  In the yellow circle on the actual can (too tiny to paint) it reads " Hartz Mountain Bird Foods are Guaranteed by Good Housekeeping as advertised therein"---I love the "advertised therein". The can is from 1935---such pleasant graphics.

Lunaria #3

8" x 6",  Oil on paper (paper 14" x 11")

And another Lunaria cutting in a little handmade vase from our friend Chris Campbell ….

Lunaria #2

8" x 6" Oil on paper (paper 14" x 11")

Another Lunaria cutting...

Lunaria

8" x 6" Oil on paper (paper 14" x 11")

I carefully brought these cuttings back from our trip this summer to Portland, Or.  They're the dried seed  leaves of the Lunaria plant. I can't stop looking at them.

Third Single Cutting

8" x 6", Oil on panel

third

second 

 
On my recent flight home I met the artist Harry Ahn who, as I was later to learn, is a renowned portrait painter and a teacher in Michigan.  I showed him an image of the last painting I had done (middle image in column to the left) and he kindly and generously gave me a little critique.  Today, while looking at my second attempt of the Single Cutting, which I was never fully happy with,  I thought I would try changing some of the aspects that he had pointed out that could use improvement ---mainly the background and the shadow of the jar.  I didn't have the plant any more but I had the jar so I improvised and played around.  I think it worked. I'm much happier with it now.

The last thing he said to me before we parted was "practice, practice, practice and then practice more".

So that's what I'm doing. And I realized I am a daily painter but I rarely can finish a painting in a day that I'm satisfied with….but maybe the rarely will become often with practice.

Thank you Harry Ahn.

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