"Double Takes" at the Foundry Gallery April 2 - 27

My solo show went up at the Foundry Gallery today, ready for opening Wednesday.  The reception is Friday night, April 4, 6 - 8 pm, 1314 18th St. NW, Washington DC.  You are invited!

I hung the show by pairing small studies with the larger paintings I'd done from those studies.  I also added a page of explanation about the intent of the study and any changes, thoughts, ideas, that emerged from the process of reexamining the work.  I hope you'll find it interesting!  Here's what the show looks like on the walls.

Metro Escalator

I was heading into the studio, no idea what I would work on today and I decided to hop on the escalator to the metro and take pictures.  I used one of the photos  to start this painting.  I have more to do on it, now I know what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Apples

I needed to loosen up, maybe a lot.  We had leftover apples from the Friday night art walk and I used a big brush to paint this last Saturday.

Looking at it today, I thought the biggest apple in the front was the least interesting of the grouping.  I no longer have the apple, so I played around with what I thought the painting needed.  Part of the problem with that apple in front was that it was hard to look past it because of the odd shape of the yellow on the skin -- it drew you to the left side of the painting and not into the painting.

I repainted that front apple and now you look at it and past it to the rest of the apples.  Better.

this is with the "bad" apple

this is the now final painting with the better apple in front

Mexico Paintings

I worked on two paintings from sketches I'd done in Mexico.  They are both not-my-usual in terms of subject matter, but they capture two views and the feeling of open space that comes from looking out over the Pacific ocean.

this was as I was working from the sketch.  I had to make a decision about whether to put detail into the band of lighter color that you could see through the leaves.

the finished painting

  

Friday Night Art Walk

This Friday, March 14, is the Bethesda Art Walk.  I'll be in the studio from 6 - 9 pm, stop by!

I finsihed the iris, clementine, white bouquet still life during last week's snowstorm.  The weather outside this week has been nice for a few days and I'm getting excited about working outside again!

Iris, Clementine & White Bouquet

I set up a still life in the studio today.  This is not something that I ever feel confident about.  Should I peel the clementine?  Put out the shells?  Cut the irises shorter?  I did a study of the set up and decided it was fine for a larger painting.  The studio light somehow provided me with beautiful color on the walls and in the reflection on the white glass table.  I said that the tulip paintings were the last ones going in my April show.  But I think these are going too.

the small study of the still life

the larger painting in progress

Friends at the Beach

This was painted from the study I'd done in Mexico last month.  The final touch today was the mango margarita.