Apples Divided

Barbara Newton has posted a paint along with me. She is a pastelist but I decided to paint along with my acrylics since I no longer have any pastels. I it was fun. I generally have trouble working from someone else's reference photos but this was similar to some of my small set up. I like her idea of altering your reference photo to get closer to what you want your finished painting to look like. I have the other one she did sketched on my panel and hope to get to it later this week. Whether you are planning to paint along with her or not her blog is a treat to view. Mine was done over a fail painting on a flat 5x7 panel.

Tangerines in Glass Bowl

This was a fun painting to do. Of course, almost every one that turns out the way I had hoped is fun. I guess tangerine orange is easier for me to mix than pear green. I know that I have been whining about the texture on this panel but it really worked for the subject. The texture made it easier to get the rough fruit skin.

tangerines start

Here is the start of my tangerine painting. On Monday I started a pear painting spent way too much time working on a failure before wiping it off. Did several set up with varying numbers of tangerines and decided to try this one. Already like it sooo much better than my pear start which I can't figure out. I have done lots of pears in watercolor and they alway come out ok if not great. Just could not get the greens right in that one. This is the 6" x 6" other Ampersand, The Artist Panel, value series wood panel with the primed canvas texture that I don't like as much as the smooth. But I did put a couple of additional layers of gray gesso and a warm golden layer of paint left on my pallet to fill in some of the "canvas" texture.

Only 3 Cups (3rd session)

Put in some more details, highlights but I think I need more darks. Granted it is white but there isn't enough contrast right now to show the curvature of the cups and the delineation of the cup bowls and handles. Like the background and shadow. Finding out that I much prefer the smooth surface to the canvas texture on these boards.

Only 3 Cups (2nd session)

Continuing working on this little painting. Painting in acrylics is fun and is bringing me joy no matter the subject. Enjoying this much more than the watercolors or oriental brush paintings I have worked on recently. Must get some more canvases/boards in different sizes and proportions. Figured out that by adding a touch of gel medium to the paint it is easier to apply to this canvas textured board.

Only 3 Cups

Started another 6" x 6" acrylic tea cup painting. I bought four panels late last year. Two of the panel were only 1/8" thick with a smooth very slick finish. Thought I wouldn't like them but I did. The other two panels are 3/4" thick with a primed canvas texture. The texture may be too much for such a small area now that I have started laying in the painting. I am liking the strong opaque quality of acrylic although I know some of the pigments are transparent which is also a good attribute in some cases. It is more fun to paint with than watercolor at this point. But really like watercolor for my sketchbook and laying out compositions.

Three Stacked Tea Cups

This little painting is another on a 6" x 6" board. Nothing has inspired me to paint it lately. So I defaulted to the theory paint what ever you see, you might fall in love with the subject. Well not exactly but it is good to paint. Now should I proceed with the other 2 compositions I set up? Not sure but decided to do the same set up in acrylic and then in watercolor. 

The 8" x 10" watercolor isn't finished. This was painted in Catherine Hillis Wednesday watercolor class. I need to think what direction to go with it, or stick it in the flat file for awhile. Should I darken the background, darken the foreground, or add the china patterns to the cups?

Four Empties

Put the final touches on this small painting this morning. It is the first one I have done on the Ampersand Artist Panel, smooth finish Value Series. It is 1/8" (3mm) flat, 6" x 6" (15.2 cm x 15.2 cm). This is the first time I have worked on a smooth finish and wasn't sure how it would grab the paint. But to my surprise I really liked the surface. The dark blue bottle in the back was a clear one in my still life set up. When I started painting the clear glass it got lost in the background, thus it turned blue. I really am enjoying this size and am learning a great deal about composition, paint mixing, and acrylics in general. Probably won't have time to do another before Christmas. I need to start an oriental brush landscape.