"Poor Man's Silver" Oil on Oil Primed Linen, Mounted on Board
This one seemed to sit on my easel forever. In my determination to rise to a challenge, I placed the bowl in the rear against the back wall of my set up. But the problem arose when I had to move the set up in order to prepare the studio for teaching. Normally everything is taped down, but this bowl just didn't want to stay put and kept rolling around and shifting it's angle. I finally gave up trying to get it over time and just repainted it in one long sitting. Phew. Done. I was happy with the background on this one as I experimented more with broken color placing warm against cool to create the atmosphere I was after. I entered it in this year's OPA National Competition along with "Tea for One". Oh well. What's $45.00? You gotta keep trying, right?
"Tea for One"Oil on Linen Mounted on Board, 11" x 14"
My friend Anne, routed out her lovely kitchen looking for pieces that I could add to still life and I settled on this little tin teapot. One of my students is a farmer and has been bringing me these wonderful brown eggs. Actually, of late, they are many different colors, but these just happened to be creamed coffee color and so that's what ended up in the painting. Some days, I decide which ones I'll eat by how many I have left of a certain color.
I'm happy with this piece. I find that since I left the atelier, I have internalized my teacher's voice. Drives me crazy. But it also keeps me honest with myself. I don't settle anymore. And if it's not my best effort, it doesn't leave the easel. Hope you like it too.
