Ultamato

I had so much fun with the last tomato I painted I had  to paint it again. In fact I could wait to get  back in the studio to paint it. It is wonderful to be excited about painting still lifes again.

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel  
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Sparky, a Challenge

I painted this in response to a Daily Paintworks Challenge. It was subject I would not ordinarily choose and the challenge required limiting my palette to Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna and Titanium White, but I'm rather pleased with how it turned out.

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel  
Click here to buy $90 with free stand and free shipping

Man's Best Friend

I painted this for Daily Paintworks new challenge. I was a bit anxious starting it because I have no experience with cars or cityscapes/landscapes. So I started in with my usual self talk, "don't think of it as a car, think of it as values, shapes and colors" but found myself thinking instead "think of it as a large, unusually shaped and rather shiny dog." So I did. Hence the title. It may not be my best work, but I'm mostly happy with it.

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel  

The Porch, Sold

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel

This is my favorite spot to sit and read. In fact, I tell people that my porch is my favorite room in my house. I decided to paint it because I felt the need to stretch and try something different.

Where's the Grape?

6x6 oil on Raymar panel
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After wiping for a while yesterday, today I decided to paint something familiar. The title may need a bit of explaining for those of you who have not been reading my blog regularly. Just check out all the paintings with cup, spoon and grape. And the answer to the question? Under the tomato.

Scallion Blockade, Sold

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel



I finished working today, and got back into the studio today. No, I didn't paint this one. The one I painted today I wiped. I'll probably wipe a couple tomorrow too. It takes a while to get back to speed after not painting for a couple of weeks.
Today, driving home from New Orleans across the causeway, I watched a waterspout. I saw it starting to form when I started across, and at about 7 miles passed it fully formed and very impressive, just about half a mile (or less maybe, it's hard to judge distance over water) from the causeway. If I had had a camera with me I would have taken some photos. It was quite an experience. So with work, waterspout, painting and wiping it was a full day.

Salsa Escapee, sold

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel

Just a couple more days of long hours working and I should be able to get back to my regular schedule. And then, like this pepper, I'll be free!

Combination Plate, Sold

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel

I'm not through with tomatoes yet, and this is my favorite tomato plate. I just don't get tired of painting them.

Salad Undressing

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel
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My husband asked me about the title, "Shouldn't it be tomatoes undressing?" Well, where's the humor in that. I hope you're not tired of tomato paintings, because there are more to come.

Too Close for Comfort

Is that fork invading the tomato's personal space? When I set this up, I was really taken with the shadow of the fork on the plate.

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel
Click here to buy $90 with free stand and free shipping

Zest, Sold

6x6 oil on Raymar canvas panel

Tomatoes again, this time with peppers and, oh why not, stripes.

Summer Salad Days

6x6 oil on canvas panel (raymar)
Click here to buy $90 with free stand and free shipping

Work hasn't really heated up yet. But that just means when it hits, it will be like a ton of bricks. Not that that's anything new. I should be use to it by now. In the meantime, here's another one of my tomato paintings. I love painting tomatoes, they're so ... red.

What's Cooking, Sold

6x6 oil on canvas panel (raymar)

I'm starting my heavy work schedule, but I've gotten ahead on my painting, so I should be able to keep posting. The consequence of getting ahead, is that by the time I post something I painted several days ago, I can't remember what I was thinking when I painted it. So if my comments seem a little disconnected, that (and the deterioration of my brain cells from overwork and lack of sleep) will be my excuse. I think it's good to get the excuses done ahead of time as well as the paintings.

Double Cross

More tomatoes, scallions and stripes. This time with a fork.

6x6 oil on canvas panel
Click here to buy $90 with free stand and free shipping

What's Come Between Us, Sold

6x6 oil on canvas panel

It's time for a series of summer tomatoes. Scallions are a nice touch and ... why not ... stripes. I'm busy painting madly to get enough done to keep posting through the soon-to-be-here next go round of day-into-night work marathon. It will start in just over a week, and I need to have 3 weeks worth of paintings. I'm aiming at at least 3 a week.
In the meantime, I also  have a lot to do for the art show my group hosts every August. I'm a busy girl. Not complaining (well not much) I'm glad to do it. Every year I see friends I don't see enough and, with luck, sell a little art. We've done well on sales every year, even last year was better than the one before, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Art sales have been awful slow this year.

One Cup, Two Cup, Sold

One cup, two cup, white cup, blue cup. Echos of Dr. Seuss.
I don't know about you, but I read so much Dr. Seuss to my son when he was little that it continues in my head today.

Ima Lil' Teapot

Isn't this little teapot precious. I couldn't resist buying it and painting it. I'm sure you'll see it again.
There is something about teapots and pitchers that appeals to me. Maybe it's the shape or the spouts. Or maybe it's that if you put something into it, you get something back. What a great metaphor for successful relationships.

We Don't Need Forks, Sold

When I was a girl, the way I ate watermelon didn't include a fork. There are numerous family photos of me with a large, mostly eaten slice of watermelon and a big grin. Needless to say this was a messy business. Afterwards, my mother would croon, "Come to me my melon cruddy baby."
And now you know where I got my penchant for puns.

Sum-Sum-Summertime, SOLD

What's says summer better than watermelon. And stripes may not say summer, but they are fun to paint.
Now that I've got the new website up, I have a little more time to paint. If you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to do so.

Mixed Message Grape, Sold

I hope you're not getting tired of these, because I'm not. I advice my students to paint the same thing over and over with minor changes. It's an excellent learning tool. Sometimes one will say, "but that's boring". Well, I'm here to say that it is fun, fun, fun.