Next commission

This painting is going to be on a 16 x 20 panel.

This is the beginning sketch to work out the

position. I want those shadow shapes just right!

The flower pot may or may not be in the final

version. Have to work out what looks right.

The other big part of this is that they will be on

an oriental carpet instead of the rag rug in the

photo. A challenge!

Lilacs in their final version

Here is the final painting. See if you can see the things done

to it that differ from the last post of it about halfway done!

I am loving this painting. Did it all in one afternoon because

the flowers were drooping fast! Tried to take breaks so I

would be sure to see it 'freshly' during the painting process.

It is so easy to lose one's objectivity if you paint on one painting

too long. One of my teachers told me that 2 hours is about

the maximum time you should work on a piece without stopping.

I have adhered to that and it does make a difference.

Set up for lilac painting

This gives you an idea of how I set up small still life work

in order to paint it. Light differences on the set up make it

look much darker than it is in fact. My painting table is on

my right and you can see some of my brushes there, as well

as the handle of one sticking out of the thinner bottle which

sits in a drawer beneath the table top with my palette on it.

Lilac painting in next stage

I am considering this about halfway done. It is

more developed overall. It is my approach to

work steadily around the painting so that no area

gets over-developed. It is easy for this to happen

when you get very interested in something such

as the flower mass in front and all its intricacies!

Painting of Lilacs on Linen

A while back I bought two linen wrapped canvases

that have clear gesso coatings. I had never seen

this before so made the purchase. I am just now

painting on the first one and LOVE IT!

First, I really love the color and texture of linen.

Second, this subject matter and its colors seem the

perfect combination to use on a linen canvas.

It is a wrapped canvas, 16 x 20.

Stay tuned for the results!

Starting a cat commission!

This is my initial rough sketch for a portrait commission

I am doing. These two feline companions snuggled

up together often and their owner took lots of photos

of them in this type of position. But when you are

doing a painting, BOTH cats have to be visible and

in many of the photos, you could see one of them,

but not the other! So this has now become the chosen

pose.

What you see here is what I've done to work out

the pose to fit properly on the panel I will be painting.

It is 11 x 14 and it will be in oil.