"Apple Takes Cherry"

 

I was shooting for three things on this one. I wanted to do something different from what I normally do. I wanted to do a painting that involved a chess board idea, and I wanted to do a painting that involved some Trompe L'oil elements. I could explain it even more but I think I will leave some things up to the viewer.

I titled it "Apple Takes Cherry" It is a 16 x 16 Oil on Panel.

SOLD

Hanging Grapes - Revised

I woke up the morning after I thought this was finished and thought to myself, "This can be better."

I always say "The less you want to change a painting, the more important it is to make that change"

I put them both side by side so it would be easier to see both together. 

I see a big difference and I am much happier with it! 

 

Above is a shot of what it looked like yesterday. I don't do many vertical Minnies, but this one just would not have worked as a horizontal.

And The Winner Is...

....And the WINNER of the First Annual Blog Minnie Giveaway is Peg Becker!
Congratulations!!!!
Please leave a comment, if we don't hear from you by next Sunday, I will have to assume you don't want it, and pick another name.

Looks Like I'll Be Working At Disney This Fall!

 No I didn't take a job there... but I was invited into the Disney Festival Of The Masters! When I told my brother the same thing he asked me which character I would be playing...nice.
I have never done a festival before, and I don't plan on doing them regularly, but I thought it might be fun to do this one. I am working on several new paintings for the show.
Here are the first four. Some of them will not be posted until right before the festival.

Blue Mushrooms 10 x 20 Oil on Panel

Watermelon 10 x 20 Oil on Panel

Three Copper Pots 10 x 20 Oil on Panel

Dragon Fruit 10 x 20 Oil on Panel

Bucket Of Apples

As much as I love the compositions where I line everything up in a row, every once in a while I like to do something different. I've wanted to paint a bucket of apples for a long time. Actually I was looking for an old wood bucket but I had a really hard time finding one. If I do find one at some point I will do this again!

It's a 12 x 16 Oil on Panel

This was how it looked when I thought it was finished, The bucket was a bit too rusted out looking so I went back in and changed it to what it looks like now. I think the colors work much better.

And of course a shot of the drawing stage...

"Pear, Plum, And Cherries" - I love this color combination

While I was at the market, I noticed this pear which was far more golden in color than the other pears there. The plums, either by coincidence, or by having an employee with an extraordinary sense of color, were placed next to the pears. Actually I think grocery stores should put all of the fruits and vegetables together that look good together. Make everyone feel better about the experience.
Anyway, I knew instantly that cherries would make this even better and picked out the whole thing and started painting. 

The colors in this photo are off slightly, maybe a touch too yellow, Even though it is the same photo, the pic below makes it look more like it does in person. The good thing is, that I think this is another one of those paintings that looks better in person so whoever buys it will be pleasantly surprised.

A Variety Of Eggplants - And A few Mushrooms Too!

 Eggplants rot and they rot fast. There is no slow approach when painting eggplants and mushrooms are just as bad. One of things I like about them is that because they have to be painted so quickly, I don't have time to worry about anything, I just paint like crazy and then when it's done I take a good look at it. I really like this one. It was not easy to paint but I had fun doing it. I didn't even put the dust on the surface of the table, I liked it just like this.
10 x 20 Oil On Panel

I knew I was going to like this one from the beginning, I liked the drawing on it a lot too.
The drawing was done with a brush, directly on the panel.

 Here is a shot of it almost done the day before yesterday...Eggplants still look good!
And below is a shot of what the eggplants looked like today...