Lemon #5 with Sunflowers

Lemon with Sunflowers

6"x6" oil on gessoed paper

Sunflowers in January, thank you Trader Joe's! My husband says this one is about the sunflowers, so I guess lemon #5 is jealous. I think Janett predicted this... And then there's the blue jug, I just love it. And blue and yellow are such a good combination, I couldn't resist.

If you will email me a link to your favorite lemon painting, I'll include the links in the next lemon post. Please use a link that will be permanent, like a blog post, rather than a page on a website (those are subject to change) and include the artists name. My email address is in my profile.

Life Drawing 2

 

 

It's not all lemons here on my blog this month! On Wednesday night I went to the weekly life drawing session at the Concord Art Association. We had a great model, and I was able to add some watercolor to my drawings on the longer poses (15 and 20 minutes). It's such a good thing to do, I hope I can become a regular.

Lemon #4

"Lemon #4"

oil on gessoed paper

~ 5"x7"

There was lots of paint on lemon #3, and here I'm back in my comfort zone with not so much paint. I like the subtlety of this one. Just a lemon sitting on a cutting board with green tissue paper behind it. And I really studied the lemon.

Lemon #3 with Dish

"Lemon #3 with Dish"

5"x7" oil on gessoed paper

I love this little dish. I don't remember where it came from, but we keep garlic in it. And as you can probably guess, I spent more time on the dish than on the lemon!

Lemon #2 with blue jug

Lemon #2 with Blue Jug

5"x5" oil on gessoed paper

For the second lemon I wanted to add something, and I love this blue jug. And I like that it's the color of the background on Lemon #1. This time I used Fabriano watercolor paper with one coat of gesso, and roughly the same palette. I like it.

And thanks to those who made suggestions for what's next.

Lemon #1

"Lemon #1"

5"x7" oil on canvas panel

I started this blog in 2009 with a goal of improving my painting, by painting regularly and often, just like practicing a musical instrument. And it worked (compare the paintings from early 2009 with those in the summer of 2010). But after a while, I felt like I was doing the same thing over and over. And then life intervened, and I slowed way down. And I could feel how rusty I was getting.

So it's time to get back to practicing! And to give that some structure, here's the plan: each month I'm giving myself an assignment; a subject to learn to paint better, a process experiment, something to focus on. This month, I'm painting lemons. Here's the first one, really simple, a single lemon sitting on a cardboard box.

Any ideas for the next one?

"From Douarnenez Harbor"

"From Douarnenez Harbor"

6"x8" oil on Raymar panel
SOLD

I was putting together some paintings today to take to Yarmouth Frame and Gallery, and found one that I hadn't posted from my trip to Brittany this summer with the Wapping Group, one of the highlights of my painting year. This was painted from the coastal village of Douarnenez in one of the rare moments of sunshine we had on that trip. And now for sale at the gallery. It was such a fun trip and I met some wonderful UK painters. What a nice thought on which to end the year.

Happy Holidays!

Winter Stream

6"x6" oil on Raymar panel

I apologize for showing a painting that has already been on the blog, but when I think about the holidays this one keeps coming back to me. And I keep searching for similar views when the snow flies, like it has done the last few days here in New England.

I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday week, and wish you a joyous new year!

Before closing, I'd like to point you to Katherine Tyrrell's Making a Mark blog. Katherine has gathered 16 paintings divided into 4 categories: still life, nature, portrait, and landscape, from paintings nominated by her readers. We are all invited to vote for one in each category. I've made my votes, and in some categories this was a very difficult choice. I hope you will take a look and do some voting yourself.

Life Drawing

Lounging at Concord Art - maybe a minute

On the Pillow at BFAC - 5 minutes

Seated at Concord Art - 15 minutes

Last week I had the pleasure of attending two life drawing sessions, one at the Boston Figurative Art Center in Somerville, MA, and the other at the Concord Art Association. At both sessions, we started with short poses (3 minutes at the BFAC, 5 at Concord Art), and gradually moved up to 15 or 20 minutes). The BFAC session was on Monday night, and I started with a pen, and moved to pencil for the 10 minute and longer poses. On Tuesday, inspired by the work of Rob Adams, who I met on the Wapping trip I took in June I did a little experimenting at home, and was ready to try water color on Wednesday at Concord Art. That was really fun, though I will bring more suitable paper next time!

Both of these groups have life drawing all winter long. The BFAC announcements are done through www.meetup.com, the price is $25 for a 3 hour session, and a reservation is required. At the Concord Art Association you just walk in, and it's $10 for a 2 hour session. Both start at 7PM, BFAC on Mondays, Concord Art on Wednesdays. Check to see when the next session is scheduled.

Yarmouth Frame and Gallery Holiday Show

Ornaments - SOLD

6"x6" oil on Raymar panel

Acadia - SOLD
6"x8" oil on Raymar panel

From Meadow Pond Bridge
6"x6" oil on Raymar panel

Nauset Marsh
8"x10" oil on Raymar panel

These are my paintings for the holiday show at Yarmouth Frame and Gallery, which is opening tomorrow (Saturday) from 4-7. The gallery is overflowing with paintings (300 at last count) so you may just find that special something for your gift or wish list. I'll be there and would love to see you and to wish you a very happy holiday season.

4-7PM December 8th

Yarmouth Frame and Gallery

Route 1

Yarmouth, ME