Three in a Row

February 9, 2016 4"x4" on Aquabord

Palette: Ultramarine Blue, (touch of Peacock Blue), Lemon Yellow, Permanent Yellow, B+W

Available on Daily Paint Works

Lately, I have found myself losing interest in the solitary subject. Though it makes for good practice, I feel like I'm getting a hang of using gouache (except for on claybord, which is always a challenge) and will improve more by moving my focus to quick composition. Then, there is the fact that I've painted my way through most of the objects in my house that I can physically move to my studio. Do you buy produce just for still lives? For instance, I've considered buying red apples, even though I don't enjoy them as much, for a different punch of color.

This painting was one of the more enjoyable pieces to make. The laying out and twisting back and forth of the apples, the drawing, the color choices.... It all came together without too much fuss. This black vase was one of the few things I've bought specifically to paint, and I picked it up at a favorite antique/thrift store. I love the modern shape, and was originally dead-set on painting it with a solitary lemon. While I might return to that composition, I thought three little apples all in a row would work better on the square panel. 

Gouache Sketches: Puzzles and Apples

February 4, 2016 4"x4" on Aquabord

Palette: Permanent Yellow, Lemon Yellow, Ultramarine Deep, Burnt Sienna + W

Available on Daily Paint Works

This mid-week has been a series of quick gouache sketches. I find that if I want to try to capture something quickly, I gravitate towards apples. There is something to their slightly-lumpy-but-still-smooth form that makes me feel more comfortable using looser brush strokes. 

February 1, 2016 ~4"x4" on Watercolor paper

Palette:B+W

February 2, 2016 5.5"x8.5" on Watercolor paper

Palette: Prussian Blue, Raw Umber, B+W

Interlocking puzzles were a subject I spent a long time with during my sophomore year of college. It was nice to revisit one of the puzzles for an evening. I still remembered the trick to parting them!

Citrus, Spices, and Glass

January 28, 2016 4"x4" on Aquabord

Palette: Juane Permanent, Carmine, Ultramarine Deep, Lemon Yellow, + W

Available on Daily Paint Works

This was a week filled with sleepy painting sessions. As a goal, I aimed to identify and focus on the major shapes and lines in each composition quickly. My apple was my quickest study yet at 20 minutes, and the other two below were great practice in painting glass. I'm hoping to have a sit-down with a glass subject sometime in the next few days to do better justice. Still, there is something appealing in the texture of these less-refined works. 

My favorite of the week was my grapefruit and lime still life, probably because I haven't been able to resist painting them on multiple occasions this month. Even though I painted it quite late on Thursday, the refreshing colors and the lime's strong citrus scent helped keep me awake until it was complete!

January 27, 2016 ~4"x4" on Watercolor Paper

Palette: Ultramarine Deep, Lemon Yellow, Burnt Sienna + W

January 29, 2016 5.5"x8.5" on Watercolor Paper

Palette: Peacock Blue, Prussian Blue, B+W

January 30, 2016 5.5"x7" on Watercolor Paper

Palette: Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Deep, Yellow Ochre + W