Market

Acrylic on Panel - 8 x 10 inches - SOLD

Carol Marine's concept of a sunny farmer's market intrigued me, but last Sunday when I went to our farmer's market, yes, in San Francisco, it was far from sunny. Fortunately, it was still purdy.

This is my submission for the Daily Paintworks' Farmer's Market Challenge. I will endeavor to paint a sunnier version soon. It's only April in SF, and our real sunny Summer isn't until September.

Field House

Acrylic on Panel - 8 x 10 inches - Click Here to Bid

It's been pretty wet and yucky here this week, but I managed to get out and go to the Marina during a dry spell. This is one of the many military buildings that dot the Presidio and the Marina, and I chose this scene for the Daily Paintworks "Plein Air" Challenge.

I took lots of photos, so I'll probably be doing a bunch more of these.

Front Porch 2 (revisited)

Original (top image)

Update (bottom image)

Acrylic on Panel - 9 x 12 inches - Click Here to Bid

I found this one lying about in the back hallway and though I liked it, something wasn't quite right. I thought I'd try to learn what it was by "fixing" it. The changes are subtle, but I think it works a bit better. Other may disagree. Give me ten minutes and I might disagree myself.

Spring Comes to the Vineyard

Acrylic on Panel - 6 x 4 inches - Click Here to Bid

The Daily Paintworks "The Meaning of Spring" challenge has got to be one of the best attended challenges yet. It's only Thursday and there's already over 70 paintings there. Go have a look.

I guess Spring really resonates with artists. Either that or everyone's on Spring break.

I based this on a photo I took last year, while wandering around Sonoma on my way to Easter at my parent's place. I can't believe it, but it's Easter again. 

Fridge

Acrylic on Panel - 9 x 12 inches Ω

Here's my submission for the Daily Paintworks "What's inYour Fridge" Challenge.  I thought about composing the contents of my refrigerator, but then I was afraid I'd be there all day rearranging things with the door open. Instead I went for my first honest glimpse and took a photo.

I used more black in my mixing than usual, and I don't mind a bit.

N and J

Acrylic on Panel - 11 x 14 inches - NFS

Catching up with Daily Paintworks, the timing was great. I had this photo of some small people I know and I wanted to try just doing a value study of it. It just so happens that this week's challenge, the Monochrome Challenge, was to paint in a monochrome fashion using just three levels or values. I think I actually wound up closer to four: black, white, dark grey and light grey.

It's been a while since I've painted and this is a big panel and something I cared about, so I was afraid I'd choke up and get all nit-picky, but I got luck and stayed nice and loose.

Shore

Acrylic on Panel - 8 x 10 inches - Click Here to Bid

This is my submission for the Daily Paintworks "Non-dominant Hand" challenge. I did, indeed paint this using my left hand, which I thought would be easy, but was harder than I thought. What I didn't expect is that mixing was even more difficult. Who knew.

The subject is actually another painting. It was a lakeside village my father painted ages ago, and which hangs in my apartment. I was sitting in the increasing gloom last night and let my eyes go out of focus and I could see the buildings as rocks, so I thought, I'll interpret it that way and see what I come up with. I didn't do a lot of color evaluation since I was relying on a painting as my source, so I tried to keep it as close to that as possible. Naturally I failed there, but I did keep the general tone. 

Ruby Glass

Acrylic on Panel - 6 x 6 inches - sold

Oh, how I'd like to paint the challenges on Sunday as they are assigned, but I'm seem to be falling into my high school mode of turning in assignments at the zero hour.

This week's theme is (was) glass and you can see the other entries at Daily Paintworks.

I've painted this bit of glassware many times, but I thought of a novel lighting method, using a flashlight. It looked amazing in real life, less so in my rendering. Sadly, it really doesn't have many transparent areas, which is the real point in painting glass (and half the fun) but it gets the job done.

The contents of the glass are simply cubed ice, and cranberry juice. In a case like this, there's really no point in trying to ply the model with booze.

That Purple House

Acrylic on Panel - 8 x 10 inches Donated

It's been as close to freezing the past two weeks. Wearing sweaters and coats inside the apartment kind of weather. Today, it broke 60 and felt like Spring. I just had to go paint outside. In January! With no jacket either.

Just down the street is this little purple building that always pops out at me. I had to work fast because you could see the shadow of the building behind me creeping up.

Despite the sudden stage fright, (it's been a while) no one wanted to have a peek or offer any advice. See, there was nothing to worry about.

I wasn't too thrilled with the results when I got home, but now that I look at it, it doesn't really bother me much.

Glass Haus Watercolor

Ink and Watercolor on Paper - 10 x 14 inches - NFS

The first Daily Paintworks Challenge of the year is to "try something new." Though there are many things I've never tried, I tried to think of some visual media I had neglected. I was a recent tutorial on pen and ink drawings that were colored with watercolor. I've always liked this look in sketchbooks, but never have watercolors with me when I'm out sketching, so I thought I'd try it out at home.

I have some really nice watercolor paints, but the tubes are over twenty years old, so they were a bit stiff. I also didn't have any greens and for some reason couldn't mix one either (I know, yellow and blue, but it just turned out grey).

Disappointed, because it didn't turn out how I imagined it, but I'm not sure what I was expecting anyway. Maybe a lighter touch?