Loosening up the still life

After painting the tight and detailed view of this set up, in which the interplay of patterns of the cloth and flowers was my focus,  I decided to reexamine the still life.

This painting is looser and takes a wider view of the set up.  I decided the dark winey-purple leaves in the arrangement were too strong for my new idea and I replaced them with roses.

This is where it is now, not sure if I'm going to play around with it more.

Warm & Cool in the Still Life

I think this is the finished still life.  I made the choice to emphasize the contrast between the cool, intricately patterned foreground with a warm and simple background.  The inclusion of the mango in the painting really led me there -- the red side of the fruit called for a warm background.

Of course, painting is about making choices like this and my show at the Foundry is all about the way I rethought and repainted those choices.  So ... I wonder if I should give this a go again with a cooler background ?  The bouquet seems to be holding its own, so I might just try that next.

Still Life Challenge

I was reminded yesterday of a very purple painting I'd done years ago (which is now on the top of this page) and I was thinking that I'd work on a painting in blues and purples today.  I set up a still life with two printed cotton cloths, a green and crimson/purple bouquet, a green water bottle and a mango.

It's a lot of work just getting into the patterns, but here's where it is as of now.  More work to be done tomorrow.  I have a feeling a few of the elements of the bouquet will be shriveled and gone before I finish.

this is the set up for the still life

this is how it looks in progress

Dupont Circle Metro and South Entrance

I fully expected I'd be painting outside by now... but it's been cold, windy, rainy and it just hasn't happened yet.  These are two views at Dupont Circle metro -- one is looking down the escalator and the other is the streetscape where you come out of Dupont Circle South.  The street on the right side of the streetscape painting is 19th Street.

Riding Down the Metro Escalator

I painted people riding up the escalator a couple of weeks ago... now I've painted the ride down.  The perspective is really a mind-bender since if you compare riding up vs down.  I love the way the metal escalators reflect color and light and the riders!

Next is a somewhat more abstract look at metro riders.  Still working on that.

"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!