"Fall Leaves"

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"Fall Leaves"

10 x 8 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

I got up this morning not knowing what I wanted to paint, I usually hang around the kitchen and see what inspires me.  My girlfriend and I just finish remodeling our kitchen which just consisted of putting in shelves, dish soap holder and a magnetic strip for the knives.  We love the way the kitchen looks and it has so much more space now for our little apartment.  While we were getting our kitchen ware from ikea we also picked up this adorable bottle, which inspired me this morning when first seeing it.  I was only going to paint the bottle but my girlfriend gave me a great idea to incorporate some of the leaves from outside.  Fall in Minnesota is so beautiful, the leaves on tree's change to these beautiful intense colors.  With her great idea that's what I did and really like the combination of the two.  Really different than what I usually do other than the wooden base but that's what attracted me to paint these objects, I really wanted to paint something different and push myself at the same time.  The bottle has so much subtle values and of course it's see through, clear glass is not something I usually paint and wanted to see how I can do it.  Alway's fun to see how far you can push yourself as a painter and stay true to what you'r painting.

I also wanted to let you guys know that starting this Saturday my paintings will be at the Dunn Bro's coffee shop, they're located on Humboldt Ave & Lake St. in Uptown, Minneapolis.  They'll be up for a whole month!

Picture of my setup after the drawing stage.  Today was an ideal day to paint with natural light it was cloudy which gives a nice soft light to the painting.  

I started with the usual raw umber on the brush for the drawing stage.  After the drawing is complete I stated the background and also painted the background color in the bottle since its see through.  I also painted the wooden base at the same time, the colors I used were yellow ochre, cobalt blue, titanium white, and raw umber.

Then I stated the darker values with their specific forms on the wooden base, the colors I used for this stage were ivory black and cad. orange.  I then added the lighter values with their specific forms, after doing that I filled in the general colors for the leaves.  The colors I used for the lighter values were titanium white, naples yellow, burnt sienna, and cobalt blue.  The colors I used for the general lay in of the leaves were cad. yellow light, naphthol red, raw umber, viridian, cobalt blue, and yellow ochre.

Then I stated the darker values with their specific forms for the first set of leaves on the left.  Then I added the lighter values with their specific forms by adding titanium white to the mixture.  I also start on the other set of leaves by stating their darker values and specific forms.

Then I take the leaves to a finish by adding the lighter values and their specific forms.  Once the leaves are completed I move onto the bottle by adding the middle to darker values with their specific forms.  I have to really concentrate and make sure to turn the form with the limited colors thats given.  The challenging thing about painting this bottle is it's edges, there's a lot of lost and found edges.  The colors I used for this stage were ivory black and titanium white.

For the finishing touches I add the lighter values and their specific forms, the colors I used for this stage is titanium white and cobalt blue.  I made sure to go thicker in the lights to really get that shine for the reflection.  I had fun with this one especially doing something completely different in subject matter, I learned a lot to say the least.  Hope you enjoyed this one, thanks for stopping by and viewing! 

"Three Pumpkins"

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"Three Pumpkins"

8 x 10 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I wanted to continue the pumpkin serious by painting three of them at one time.  It was challenging to say the least trying to capture the subtle cools in the orang colored pumpkin surface.  It was also neat studying the surface of these little guys, trying to emulate their textures was beyond fun.

I started with the usual dry brush approach using no mediums and a bit of raw umber on the brush.  After the drawing is complete I stated the general colors of the pumpkins, the colors I used were cad. orange, and cad. yellow light.  I also stated the background by using cobalt blue, naples yellow, and titanium white.

I started on the first pumpkin when the background is complete, I concentrated on the middle to darker values.  Then I stated the lighter values with their specific values.  The colors I used were raw umber, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, and titanium white.  When taking the pumpkin to completion I also take the stem to a finish.

I repeat the same process with the second pumpkin by first concentrating on the darker values with their specific forms.

I do the same with the third pumpkin by first concentrating on the darker values and finishing off with the lighter values and their specific forms.  When stating the darker values with the pumpkins I'm also stating the wooden base to give more range in values, it shows me how far I need to push the overall values.

After the pumpkins are complete I stated the wooden base by using raw umber, ivory black, and cobalt blue.  I state the darker values with their specific forms first and concentrate in getting that section to a close finish.  Then I add the lighter values with their specific forms and take the painting to a finish.  

Picture of my setup.  Today was an overcast day which is perfect to paint in.  

"Yellow Pepper"

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"Yellow Pepper"

6 x 6 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

This is a small little pepper I found at the store yesterday and wanted to paint it.  I really like the transition of green to yellow, its tough trying to capture that change since it happens so fast.  Peppers can be challenging because of their smooth texture, a great challenge to painting.  It's always fun to challenge yourself even though you think you can paint it easily it can throw you in a whirl wind.

I started with the usual dry brush approach using no mediums and a bit of raw umber on the brush.  Once the drawing is complete I stated the background first using cobalt blue, naples yellow and titanium white.

Then I stated the general colors for the pepper and stem, the colors I used were cad.yellow light, viridian, and raw umber.  Then I state the darker values with their specific forms.

I do the same with the lighter values and take the pepper to a finish, I also state the darker values to the stem.

Then I stated the wooden board with its general colors.  I also took the stem to a finish by adding the lighter values with their specific forms.  I then added the darker values with their specific forms.  The colors I used for the wooden board were raw umber, ivory black, ultramarine blue, and cadmium orange.

Then I added the lighter values with their specific forms to the base and took the painting to a finish.  I hope you guys enjoyed this little quick painting, thanks for stopping by and viewing.

"Mini Pumpkin"

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"Mini Pumpkin"

6 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

Today I did a demo at the local art store Dick Blick, it was fun painting in front of people and answering so many questions.  It was also nice they had food and live music, always nice to paint in a different in environment and have a good time.  I decided to paint this mini pumpkin which was perfect with the time allotted for the demo, painting its smooth and rough textures was a nice challenge.  I figured since October is right around the corner and the change of season is already here why not paint a fitting subject.  The lighting at the store was not the most ideal lighting situation but it wasn't worst either, overall good environment and most importantly I had fun creating it.  

Picture of my setup at the store.

"Nectarines"

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"Nectarines"

5 x 7 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I wanted to continue the paring of fruits since the previous pair resembled nectarines so much.  The whole time I was painting I thought wow these really do look like nectarines.  That's the reason I wanted to paint actual nectarines for todays alla prima session.  Today was a bit challenging to paint these in natural light, the weather was cloudy for most of the day and pretty gloomy at times.  I wanted to stay true to painting in this manner even though it got pretty dim the colors were still pretty true to the original.

I wanted to let you guys know I'll be doing a demo on Thursday September 22 at Dick Blick in Edina from 1-4 p.m.  I think I might do a rose or fruit painting still undecided on what to paint, any suggestions?   Hope to see you guys there! 

I started with the usual dry brush approach using a bit of raw umber on the brush.  Once the drawing is complete I stated the background and nectarines with its general colors.  The colors I used were ultramarine blue, naples yellow, titanium white, burnt sienna, cad.red light, and cad.yellow light.

Then I stated the darker values with their specific forms, the colors I used for this section were burnt sienna, cad.red light, raw umber and ultramarine blue.  Then I added the lighter values with their specific forms, the colors I used were titanium white and cad.yellow light.

I repeated the process with the second nectarine after the first one is completed.

After the nectarines are completed I stated the wooden board with its general colors, the colors I used were raw umber and burnt sienna.  Then I stated the darker values with their specific values, the colors I used were ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

Then I stated the lighter values with their specific values, the colors I used were titanium white, naples yellow, burnt sienna and cobalt blue.  This is the finished painting and really happy with the result.  The lighting was an issue in the beginning but it was just something to figure out and able to work through.  As stated in previous posts painting in this manner is addicting, I love the colors one is able to see with natural light and how subtle value shifts are presented.  Thanks for stopping by and viewing, hope you enjoyed this one. 

Picture of the setup.

"Summer Punch Pluots"

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"Summer Punch Pluots"

5 x 7 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

It's already cooling off here in Minneapolis, we had a freeze warning last night which I was not to excited about.  I'm really going to miss summer and the beautiful days it brought, although fall in Minnesota is beautiful.  I just do not want it to go to freezing temperatures already, I want a gradual build up for winter.  These summer punch pluots are a homage to the season thats ending.  I wanted to continue the process of painting in natural light and from life.  I'm enjoying more painting in this manner, i'm starting to see more colors and textures that would be missed if I was copying from a picture.  I also find you can connect with the subject you'r painting when painting from life.  I really love painting this way I get so much more out of it, still trying to adjust sitting down all day rather than standing up.

Picture of my setup.

I started with the usual dry brush approach for the drawing stage.  Once the drawing is complete I start on the background first with cobalt blue, naples yellow, yellow ochre, and titanium white.

Then I state the pluots and wooden base with their general colors, not worried about the lightest and darkest values just a general statement.  Then I stated the darker values with their specific forms on the wooden base.  The colors I used for the base were raw umber, burnt sienna, and cobalt blue.

Then I added the lighter values with their specific values and took the base to a finish.  I then start to state the middle to darker values on the first pluot.  The colors I used for them were cad.orange, cad.yellow light, burnt sienna, cad.red light and raw umber.

Then I add the lighter values with their specific forms, the colors I used for this area were titanium white, quinacridone magenta and cobalt blue.  Once the first pluot is complete I repeated the same process with the second one.

This is the finished painting.  As stated before painting from life and having the subject right in front of you is priceless.  The amount of information you get with colors and temperature is really valuable.  I recommend if you'r able to paint in this way do it, you learn a lot more than copying from a picture.  Thanks for stopping by and viewing, hope you enjoyed this one.

The set up and the finished painting.

"Prune Plums"

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"Prune Plums"

5 x 7 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

These plums are delicious to eat and even more to paint.  I painted this one in the same manner as the last two, painting in natural light and in front of the subject.  I'm liking more and more painting in this way there are so much colors and subtle value shifts you get rather than getting it from a photo.  To say i'm having fun with these paintings is an understatement. 

This is a picture of my setup.

I started with the usual dry brush approach for the drawing stage.  Once the drawing is established I stated the background and wooden base.  I stated the general colors first without worrying about the lightest and darkest values.  The colors I used were cobalt blue, naples yellow, titanium white, raw umber, and burnt sienna.

Then I stated the darkest values with there specific forms, I did the same with the lighter values.

Once the wooden base is complete I start on the plums.  I first stated with the general color of the plums and did a thin block in, the colors used were cobalt blue, ultramarine blue and ivory black.  Then I stated the darkest values with their specific forms.

I then painted the lighter values with their specific forms.  You can see in the darker middle value areas I added quinacridone magenta and cad.red light.

I repeated the same process with the other two plums and took the painting to a finish.  I hope you enjoyed this one, thanks for stopping by and viewing!

"Mini Heirloom"

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"Mini Heirloom"

6 x 6 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

We were at the store today getting ingredients for a baby shower my girlfriend is throwing, she's cooking a whole lots of cupcakes and I'm gonna try to steal some before she takes them.  While we were at the store I saw this adorable little heirloom tomato and automatically wanted to paint it.  I was gonna paint in my kitchen and do the natural light method again but she's cooking away all day with her sister.  Instead I decided to paint in our room where the natural light is not to bad.  I really do enjoy painting in natural light, there's so much more colors and subtle tones that one can't get through pictures.  

I started with the usual dry brush approach using a bit of raw umber on the brush.  Once the drawing is complete I stated the local colors of the heirloom, at this stage I'm not concerned with stating the lightest and darkest values.  The colors I used for this stage were cad.red light, naphthol red, cad.yellow light, and viridian.

Then I stated the background and wooden base to give more of a whole feel to the initial phase of the painting.  The colors I used were cerulean blue, naples yellow, titanium white, burnt sienna, and raw umber.  Then I stated the middle to darker values with their specific forms.  I like to slow down in these later stages to really conform the shape and get the subtle value shifts, it's almost impossible to get those subtle information when your in a hurry to finish.

Then I state the lighter values with their specific forms and take the heirloom to a finish.  Then I start on the wooden base and state the darker values with their specific forms.  The colors I use is ultramarine blue and raw umber.

Then I stated the lighter values with their specific forms and took the base to a finish.  I also added more naples yellow and yellow ochre to the background, and also brought the value down.  I really enjoyed the process of creating this painting, painting from life is something one has to do in order to get an intimate feel of its subject.  One has to see its true colors and how light really wraps around the form.  Pictures are not bad for reference use, but it does limit the information one can get from life.  Thanks for stopping by and viewing, hope you guys enjoyed this one.

Picture of the finished painting next to the model.  I'm getting used to painting more on my pochade box, I just have to get used to painting sitting down.