Simply a Red Cup

                                          6x6 $90
I decided to carry this "simply theme" a bit further. The challenge (to myself) is to feature a simple object in a simple composition and pay special attention to the color scheme and the composition to set it off. I'm also trying to be more experimental. For example, I usually tone my board with a warm color- usually yellow and sometimes orange or red. I almost never use blue, green or purple. On this one, I decided that since the palette is warm, a cool underpainting would be a good idea. I really like the bits of blue peeking through.

Simply an Orange Bowl (and the value of critique)

                                          6x6 $90
This is a revision of yesterdays painting- improved (I think) by the suggestions made by one of my fellow painters. She diplomatically sent her critique to my e-mail, rather than posting it in comments, but I wouldn't have minded if she had made it public. I think we can all learn from the observations of others who view or work. Thus I'm sharing it with all of you. In her case, she thought that the shadow was not believable; it was too uniform in value where it should have been darker at the base of the bowl. Also, it seemed to be too high in the back. She was right. I had to stand on my tiptoes to get the shape of the bowl the way I wanted it (showing none of the interior) and I was not so diligent about doing that when I painted the shadow. Thus, it was seen from a different perspective than was the bowl. I was careful this time to observe it more closely, and it was darker at the base of the bowl and well as to the left in a distinct (if subtle) line. I believe it now looks more believable- do you believe?

Simply an Orange Bowl

                                          6x6 $90

This started out as a much more complex painting. I liked the bowl, but not the setting- so I wiped out the background and painted it grey. Voile! I'm really happy with the simplicity of this painting. Now that I'm back in my studio, I've made a few changes to my recent daily paintings. I will post the more dramatic changes as "new"; the others I will quietly post in place of the existing images.

Blustery Day in the Hood

                                          6x6 $90
I'm enjoying these little architectural scenes. I"m starting with a visual reference and then discarding it in favor of free expression. This one looked a little muddy this morning so I popped some of the colors a bit.

I'm taking a break from housecleaning, as we're packing up to head for Seattle. There will be tenants here most of the winter, so that takes an extra layer of preparation. It's hard to leave this beautiful sunny weather, but I'm really looking forward to painting in my studio again!

View of the Village

                                          5x7 $90
I can hardly believe it's been a full week since I posted! It's been a fun week, with company and other fun diversions, but no time to paint! It's not going to get any better either, as we are leaving Arizona for Seattle on Tuesday and there's much to do before we depart. Not to mention I've not done a thing in preparation for Christmas. So....I managed to eke out a couple hours to set up my easel in the back yard, and paint. This is not the view from our back yard. I gleaned the idea from a portion of a painting I had cut out of a newspaper months ago. I tried to be cognizant of my values and the shapes I was creating. My intent was to make it as abstract as possible while retaining the clear depiction of a village beyond a foreground of trees. I'm pretty happy with the results, considering it's a "first try" with this type of subject. I might try this again in a bigger format.

Beneath Blue Sky

                                          5x7 $90

I'm trying something a little different here. Theoretically, my work with still life setups is improving my eye for composition and color, which should transfer over into other subject matter. I plan to do some more of these little landscapes, trying to employ what I've learned.

The Outsider

                                             5x7 $90
Maybe you noticed I changed the background color of my blog. I got tired of the black and decided I wanted a lighter brighter look. This is a trial period- I'd love to hear if my viewers have a preference.

Cozy Up

                                          Sold
I'm out of 6x6 panels, so the challenge will be to arrange compositions more suited to a horizontal format. I painted 2 of these today, and then cleared my painting apparatus away to return the guest room to its primary function. We have guests all next week, so the postings will be slim. I hope to get back on the program by next Saturday.

My Darling Clementine

                                           6x6 $90
I like the zig-zaggy pattern of this composition. Also the fact that it sort of flirts with the middle of the picture- yet everything veers away from the center in different directions. The background is alizarine crimson, which comes off as pink. Pink is another thing I flirt with. I like it in small doses.

Standing Proud

                                                     7x5 $90
Here's that bottle again. It has picked itself up off the ground and stands proud and tall- well, maybe not so tall. One of the things I love about painting glass is the surprising colors that appear, like the purple at the base of the shadow. I didn't make that up.
Has anybody had trouble commenting on my blog? Kim Blair was nice enough to e-mail me that she had tried numerous times without success. I can't figure out how to make any changes in my settings. I have already checked the box saying that "anyone" can comment- is there anything more I can do?  If you have been unable to comment or if you have advice for me, please drop me an e-mail at laynecook@comcast.net. I need to find out what's going on!