The Story This painting is about capturing an instant of stillness and quiet. The inclusion of a small reflected image of the artist at work gives it a snapshot-like feeling. Not only is it a generalized moment of calm and contemplation, but it’s also very specific – that particular moment in the studio. The two […]
The Story This is the second of several paintings that are deliberately simplified. In this case the composition has been reduced to just one object. Working with such a restricted design meant that the painting needed to become an exploration of lighting and mood. The Technical Side “Mysterium” was done entirely from life (without […]
The Story This painting was the outcome of working with several interesting challenges. A respected figure in the community suggested doing a few paintings with simpler compositions. It was a suggestion worth taking, and this painting (as well as the next one) are the results. Limiting the amount of “action” in a this painting meant […]
The Story Three different ideas came together to inspire this painting; wedges, spotlights, and a particular mood. Wedges are common devices to help artists arrange their compositions. In fact, a wedge is just a partial pyramid, which is the simplest and most stable way to organize a picture. A recent blog post talks more about […]
The Story There are no rules in art. But, there are suggestions, some of them quite strong. One of these is that paintings should not be completely symmetrical. Although a design with a strong central feature can be very stable, too much symmetry is usually felt to be undesirable – the risk is that it […]
The Story The title of this painting is a simple pun. Not only is there a triple self-portrait (featuring basically head and shoulders), but the middle creamer towers – head and shoulders – above the other creamers. Taken together, they form a pyramid, which is the simplest and most stable compositional design. The reflections of […]
The Story Shows have a way of disrupting everything – especially production schedules in the studio – which is exactly what last weekend’s show did. Fortunately, they only occur twice a year, and it only takes about a week to get fully back on track. This is actually last week’s painting – the current week’s […]
The Story The story behind this week’s painting has less to do with the painting itself than with how I make paintings. I arrange most of my compositions in a shadow box positioned to the right of my easel. It works well, and I’ve used it for years. But, it limits me to a certain […]
The Story The title of this painting is pretty self-explanatory, so I won’t dwell on it. I don’t generally care for paintings with lighthouses in them, but for some reason I wanted the challenge of putting one in a still life, at least in symbolic form. This painting took it’s start from the antique silver […]
The Story Still Life is a genre that suffers from bad naming. It leads people to think of it as a quiet and sedate kind of art – even a little boring. Unfortunately, a lot of still life paintings fulfill those expectations. I suppose what we call it in English is better than what the […]
The Story I very nearly called this painting “Castle Rock”, since it almost seemed to describe a Medieval fortress. The brick especially helped with that impression, since castles are often built on rock outcroppings. In the end, though, I was a little more drawn to the idea of the objects huddling together – for warmth? […]
The Story All the paintings so far for this year-long project have featured purely black backgrounds. I love the drama and simplicity of paintings set against such a backdrop. At the same time, I felt like having a lighter painting this week. So, I decided to work against a beige background (introducing some dramatic spotlighting […]
The Story The story for this week’s painting unfolded as I worked on it. In fact, it grew out of a change I made to the design midway; see the technical discussion below. One of the pleasures of the creative process is that sometimes good ideas lurk just below the level of conscious awareness. This […]
The Story This week’s painting has two meanings – one semi-political and one very personal. I don’t think I’m being particularly controversial when I say I’ve had enough of the rancor in American public life – from both sides. I know it’s not going away anytime soon. I also know we’ve been through much worse […]
This commissioned painting is framed and ready for delivery. I gave the collectors several options for the frame, and was excited that they chose this one. It was my choice as well. It’s a gold leaf frame, about 2.5 inches wide, with some simple Arts and Crafts – inspired detailing at the corners. I think […]
The Story This week’s painting is one of those that doesn’t have a specific story behind it. Instead, I was aiming for a dramatic mood, along with the solid reassurance that a good cup of tea can bring at just the right moment. Even when there’s not a specific plot, I still think of the […]
The Story This week’s painting is entitled “Safe Haven”. As is sometimes the case, I didn’t begin it with a story in mind. Rather, I just set to work making the composition that I wanted, and let the story unfold in the background of my imagination. If I get out of the way and […]
This week’s painting is entitled “At the Still Point of the Turning World”, which is a line from the T.S. Eliot poem “Burnt Norton”, the first of his Four Quartets. I was not looking for ways to directly reference any parts of the poem in this painting. Instead, I started to see that in this […]
Here is this week’s completed painting – the first in my year-long series of 52 larger pieces. This one is done with oil on mounted linen, and measures 8×10 inches. Parts of this have dried to a matte finish. This is not desirable because it shifts the apparent color lighter than it actually is. A […]
This commission is complete, framed, and ready for delivery. I can’t wait to get this into the collectors’ hands; it’s been an honor and a pleasure to do this painting for them.
From a few years ago: “Peeling Orange on a Brick”, oil on panel, 6×5 inches, 2011, SOLD This is probably my favorite from the series of small kitchen paintings I did in 2011. If you want to see paintings of fruit on bricks handled with a very different sensibility, check out the wonderful paintings of […]
From a few years ago: “Silver Creamer and Peeled Orange”, oil on panel, 5×6 inches, 2011, SOLD Along with the painting I shared yesterday, this is another from a series of small kitchen paintings I did in 2011. It’s healthy for me to look at older work like this, because I see so many things […]
From a few years ago: “Silver Cup, Spoon, and Orange”, oil on panel, 5×6 inches, 2011, SOLD This was a painting where I wanted make the light quite dark. If I were going to do this today, I think I’d push it down even further, and see how dark it could be and still be […]
From a few years ago: “Pear, Egg, Wineglass”, oil on linen, 6×8 inches, 2013, SOLD Yesterday I shared a piece from from a small series of kitchen paintings I did in 2013, and this is another of them. The classical Spanish Bodegón paintings – at least the ones I like best – bring some real […]
From a few years ago: “Mexican Pitcher and Two Eggs”, oil on linen, 6×8 inches, 2013, SOLD This was from a small series of kitchen paintings I did in 2013. The classical Spanish Bodegón paintings – at least the ones I like best – bring some real drama to the subject of food and it’s […]
From a few years ago: “Kaleidoscope: Silver Bowl”, oil on panel, 5×5 inches, 2009, SOLD This is the third from an old series of experimental paintings I’ve been sharing this week. The series was done in 2009, and focused on closely-cropped views into dense assemblies of objects. This one was the most abstract, and probably […]
From a few years ago: “Kaleidoscope: Magnifying Glass No. 2”, oil on panel, 5×5 inches, 2009, SOLD This is another piece from the series of experimental paintings I did in 2009 focusing on tightly-cropped views into dense assemblies of objects.
From a few years ago: “Kaleidoscope: Magnifying Glass No. 1”, oil on panel, 5×5 inches, 2009, SOLD In 2009 I did a series of experimental paintings of closely cropped views into dense assemblies of objects. There were probably about 10 paintings in that group, and this was one of them. Ultimately it was just that […]
This is day 90 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I was originally going to do a different kind of painting for today, but about 30 days into the project I told somebody that if I made it all the way to the end, I’d name the […]
This is day 89 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this is […]
This is day 88 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this is […]
This is day 87 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this is […]
This is day 86 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day, and I needed to do something simple today. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to […]
This is day 85 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this […]
This is day 84 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this is […]
This is day 83 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I loved the thought of this grizzled old pear having a whole lot of life stories to tell.
This is day 82 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Today’s painting was one of those happy accidents that happen in a studio when it gets messy. I had a pile of props for potential projects, and I was looking for a place to set the silver […]
This is day 81 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this is […]
This is day 80 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I stepped away from the fairy tale theme a little bit today, though still kept it within the realm of story telling and visual puns. I’ll be back with another fairy tale painting tomorrow.
This is day 79 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this is […]
This is day 78 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to translate that admiration into paint, and this is […]
This is day 77 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. After changing pace yesterday with a simple teacup, I’m back to the Fairy Tale series. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep […]
This is day 76 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I really love the fairy tale paintings I’ve been doing for the past week, and I’ll probably continue with them for the rest of the 90 day challenge. Today, though, I needed a break from that, so […]
This is day 75 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the seventh day of trying something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways […]
This is day 74 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the sixth day of trying something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways […]
This is day 73 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the sixth day of trying something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways […]
This is day 72 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the fifth day of trying something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways […]
This is day 71 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the fourth day of trying something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways […]
This is day 70 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the third day of trying something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways […]
This is day 69 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the second day of trying something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways […]
This is day 68 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life every day. This is my first attempt at something new. I love fairy tales – and folk literature in general – the earthiness, vivid characters, odd story lines, and simple but deep truths. I’ve been thinking about ways to […]
This is day 67 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. So this exact orange has appeared in the previous 3 paintings as well as today’s. I didn’t plan it that way; it just worked out naturally. Today, though, I decided it would be the end of it’s […]
This is day 66 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s hard to pick favorites, and I don’t have to, but of the paintings from this series so far, I’ve probably had the best time working on this one. It all just fell together naturally and […]
This is day 65 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day.
This is day 64 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It turns out that I have nothing whatsoever to say about this painting, so I’ll say it.
This is day 63 of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day. I’m going to use the remainder of this project to play with some composition and arrangement ideas I’d like to explore. Probably a tall order for a one-a-day sort of project, but I’m not doing this challenge […]
This is day 62 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Today’s painting is personal, and a gift, so no more commentary is needed. Except to say that painting eggs is nothing if not a lesson in humility.
This is day 61 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Portraits are not my thing, and they probably never will be – the yearning to do it is just not there. But, one of the goals I set for this project is to step outside of […]
This is day 60 of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day, and the final day of a series within a series to paint a subject I’d grown bored of – teacups – in ways that kept my interest. Some time ago when I began tiring of painting teacups, […]
This is day 59 of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day. It’s also the 6th day of a series within a series where I take a subject I’ve grown bored with – teacups – and try to approach it in a way that I find interesting and tells […]
This is day 58 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the 5th day of a series within the series where I take a subject I’ve grown bored of – teacups – and try to find ways to approach it that interest me and tell a […]
This is day 57 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the 4th day of a series within the series where I take a subject I’ve grown bored of – teacups – and try to approach it in a way that interests me and tells a […]
This is day 56 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the 3rd day of a series within the series to take a subject I’ve grown bored of – teacups – and find ways to approach it that both interest me and tell a story.
This is day 55 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the second of a series within the series to take a subject I’ve grown bored of – teacups – and find ways to approach it that both interests me and tells a story.
This is day 54 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I’ve painted a lot of teacups. A lot. They sell well, but at a certain point I got bored with the subject and decided not to do them for a while. A project like this 90 […]
This is day 53 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. In ancient Norse mythology, the Valkyrie were female demigods who roamed the battlefields choosing the spirits of worthy slain warriors to take the to Valhalla – basically the Norse idea of Heaven. Their most famous incarnation is […]
This is day 52 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. For those of you who might not be familiar with the story of the Gordian Knot, it goes like this: Alexander the Great arrived at the city of Gordium in modern-day Turkey, and was told of a […]
This is day 51 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting form life each day. This one was a blast. I wanted to conjure up a character you just wouldn’t want to meet in an alley, so I gave the apple a few weapons and wrapped him up in a punk-style leather […]
This is day 50 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. This one is all about having a gutsy idea, and carrying it out… regardless of the consequences. This video shows the whole process of making this painting – start to finish – about 4 hours of […]
This is day 49 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the 7th and final part of a series within the series where I tell the story of the Seven Deadly Sins using my collection of marble eggs. Today, of course, is the sin everybody’s been […]
This is day 48 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the 6th day of a series with in the series where I tell the story of the Seven Deadly Sins using my collection of marble eggs. Today’s sin is wrath. Truth be told, I look […]
This is day 47 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the fifth day of a series withing the series where I tell the story of the Seven Deadly Sins using my collection of marble eggs. Today it’s one of my favorite sins – Gluttony! This […]
This is day 46 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s also the fourth day of a series within the series where I tell the story of the Seven Deadly Sins using my collection of marble eggs. Today’s shortcoming is Sloth. As I’ve mentioned before, one of […]
This is day 45 – HALF WAY! – of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day. It’s also the third day of a series within the series that tells the story of the Seven Deadly Sins using my collection of stone eggs. Today we look at the sin […]
This is day 44 of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day. It’s also the second day of a series within the series that tells the story of the Seven Deadly Sins using my collection of stone eggs. Today they are wrestling with the shortcoming of Envy. The gem […]
This is day 43 of my 90 day challenge to create one new painting from life each day. This is the start of a series within the series. I’m telling the story of the Seven Deadly Sins using my collection of stone eggs. I love serious stories told in whimsical ways – that’s the […]
This is day 42 (yes, that number) of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The last few paintings were modest pieces. I’m in no way ashamed of them, but they are exactly what they are; quickly executed studies as part of an 3 month daily practice project. But […]
This is day 41 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. I think we all have times of feeling a little broken. For me at least, seeing and handling things which no longer function as they were meant can lead to real sympathy. When I started to arrange […]
This is day 40 of my 90 day challenge to do one painting from life each day. So the tough part of a daily challenge like this is that some days you just don’t feel like doing it – at all. While I wasn’t about to give in to the urge to do *anything* […]
This is day 39 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Sometimes what you learn from a painting is more important than the painting itself. The big challenge with this one was all of the whites, which can be a ridiculously tough color to paint well. To make […]
This is day 38 of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day. This video shows the whole process of making this painting – start to finish – about 3 hours of work condensed to less than 90 seconds. To follow this project and see a new painting every day, […]
This is day 37 of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day. This video shows the whole process of making this painting – start to finish – in just over a minute. To follow this project and see a new painting every day, bookmark this page, and subscribe to my YouTube […]
“U.F.O.” This is day 36 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. It’s easy enough to over-react to any situation, as our knight friend shows. This video shows the whole process – start to finish – in just over a minute. To follow this project and see a […]
This is day 35 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Since I didn’t have much to say about this painting, I won’t burden it by forcing myself to talk… please enjoy. Here’s a video where I show the model I worked from, and discuss the outcome of […]
“Mirror, Mirror…” This is day 34 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The title is “Mirror, Mirror…”, taking it’s cue from the reflections in the silver creamer. Like yesterday’s painting, this one almost painted itself – I just got out of the way and let things unfold […]
“Survivor” This is day 33 of my 90-day challenge to do one new painting from life each day, and the title of this one is “Survivor” Today’s piece feels like the most successful one in the series so far. It was by far the easiest to do, in fact it almost painted itself; I […]
This is day 32 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The title of today’s painting is “Freak Flag” The aluminum foil was SO much fun to paint. I’ve included it in other paintings in the past, but they’ve all been pretty long slow projects with underpaintings and […]
This is day 31 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Today is where the project becomes something else. The first 30 days were focused on the mechanics and rhythm of working from life only on a daily basis, which hasn’t been a regular part of my studio […]
This is day 30 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Have not missed a day so far, and the project is starting to feel like a real accomplishment. For today’s painting, I took what I started yesterday and doubled down on it. I don’t think any […]
The 90 day challenge is not the only project I have going on in my studio. I’ve haven’t been posting much about them, so I wanted to make up for that with this video about the commission painting I’m currently working on. It’s a painting for a family that wanted to have objects in it […]
This is day 29 of my 90-day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The subject is an apple under distress. I’ll leave it up to you whether that holds any meaning for you or not. As you can see, this one was done on a copper panel. I’m still finishing up […]
This is day 28 of my 90 challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Today I wanted to do a rural landscape of the kind I haven’t done in a couple of years. Although I’ve always done landscape sketches on the side for my own pleasure, lately they’ve all been of the […]
This is day 27 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting form life each day. The subject was as simple as could be – a strawberry frosted donut. With today’s study, I focused on speed an accuracy – this one came in at just under an hour. Working quickly isn’t just a […]
This is day 26 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. You may notice that the background, which is visible at the border, has a much lighter color than on others from this series. This is the tone, which is just a thin layer of paint which cuts […]
This is day 25 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. For today’s painting I simply wanted to work with a composition that had a strong vertical format. So I picked 3 narrow objects and arranged them tightly into a almost a monolith. One interesting thing about the […]
This is day 24 of my 90 day project fto do one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s study was a very old plum that I’ve had in my studio for more than a week. It’s already been in 3 of these small paintings, and when I looked at it yesterday […]
This is day 22 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life every day. Although it looks simple at first, this might be the most ambitious subject I’ve tackled yet in this series. The surface is covered in folds and creases, a lot like folds in drapery, and each fold needs […]
This is day 21 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. If you’ve been following this project, you might recognize the grapes and the plum from some recent paintings. They’re been in my studio for the better part of a week now. I’m not sure how edible they […]
This is day 20 of my 90 day challenge where I do one new painting from life each day. For today’s painting, I basically pulled a few items at random from my spare parts drawer. Although the result was a composition where the items in fact did seem to relate to each other, I love […]
This is day 19 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s painting is a green apple. I just couldn’t stand to paint another whole apple, so I took a slice out of which made it a more satisfying project all around. This piece was […]
This is day 18 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s painting is several small bunches of wild grapes arranged on a seashell. Far from being a uniform color, each grape had many shifts in the temperature and saturation of the local color. Temperature […]
This is day 17 of my 90 day challenge where I do one new painting from life each day. I painted plums a few days ago and I’m returning to them today, since I still have quite a few in my studio. The best painting experiences – or at least the ones that lead to […]
This is day 16 of my 90 day challenge where I make one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s painting is a nearly-empty jar of turmeric powder – one of those happy moments where I saw something out of the corner of my eye and realized it would make a great […]
This is day 15 of my 90 day challenge where I do one new painting from life each day. Yesterday a friend brought a bag of plums from his garden. Fortunately a few of them still had the stems and leaves attached, since that makes a much more visually interesting painting than just a […]
This is day 14 of my 90 day challenge to make one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s painting is a crushed beer can. This turned out to be an interesting surface, since the creases and folds it made are very similar to those made by drapery. For instance if you […]
This is day 13 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s painting is a small jar with dried kiwi slices. It seems that the corner of my eye and the back of my mind were conspiring for a while to get me […]
This is day 12 of my 90 day challenge where I do one new painting from life each day. Until now, most of the paintings in this series have been fairly simply, single-object studies, so today I wanted to work with a more involved composition. The perspective for the roll of orange twine gave […]
This is day 11 of my 90 day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s painting is kind of a curious object. It’s a modern reproduction of an antique Chinese opium pipe. And before you can ask, no I haven’t, and I don’t even know if works for […]
This is day 10 of my 90-day challenge to produce one new painting from life each day. The subject for today’s painting is a small antique vase with a dried straw flower from a friend’s garden.\ If I had the opportunity to do this painting over again, I’d focus more on controlling the values […]
This is day 9 of my 90 day challenge where I do one new painting from life each day. The impetus for today’s painting was that I wanted to paint on a blue background. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Blue and green also make an unusual color harmony, so I enjoyed working with […]
This is day 8 of my 90 challenge where each day I produce 1 new painting from life. The model for today’s painting was a pair of shells. I was drawn to them by the patterns of markings – especially the spiral design on the right-hand shell. In addition, I enjoyed capturing the iridescence in […]
This is day 7 of my 90-day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. The subject is an old and kind of battered enamel drinking cup, which I thought had a lot of character. I draped some red string around the handle to fill out the composition. I’m really enjoying working with […]
This is day 6 of my 90-day challenge to produce one new painting from life each day. I felt yesterday’s painting fell short of my expectations, so today I wanted to produce a stronger piece. There’s always room for improvement, but this certainly satisfied that need. The model was another glass of water. I wanted […]
This is day 5 of my 90-day challenge to do one new painting from life each day. Since yesterday’s painting was complex, I wanted to do a less involved composition today. I chose a simple water glass resting on a piece of red cloth. In some ways, it turned out to be an even bigger […]
Day 4 of my 90 day challenge, where I make one new painting from life every day. The model for today’s painting comes from my small collection of handmade Mexican toys – this one is a spinning top. I selected it mainly because I tend to work with more muted colors, and the vibrant color […]
This is day 3 of my 90 day challenge of making one new painting from life each day. Today’s subject is a 1950’s style egg cup (or bud vase), which I paired with a few eggshells. The shadow cast by the edge of the small shadowbox I have mounted on my easel made some dramatic […]
This is day 2 of my 90 day challenge where I make one new painting from life each day. Today’s work features an antique copper creamer. A few of the things that drew me to it were the color and texture of the metals, and the porcelain handle. I especially wanted to explore the colors […]
This is the beginning of an exciting new project: I’m doing a 90 day challenge in which each day I do one painting from life. This painting features a metal plant mister and a peach from a friend’s garden. The lights in my studio cast shadows on both the right and left. Ordinarily, I would […]
Today’s Still Life for You: Jeffrey Hayes: “Lemon on a Silver Candlestick No. 1”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 (sold)
Today’s Still Life for You: Jeffrey Hayes: “Porcelain and Copper”, Oil on Panel, 6×6 inches, 2008 (sold)
Today’s Still Life for You: Jeffrey Hayes: “Teacup with Oriental Rug XIII”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015 (sold) “In Japan, a number of time-honored everyday activities (such as making tea, arranging flowers, and writing) have traditionally been deeply examined by their proponents. Students study how to make tea, perform martial arts, or write with a […]
Today’s Still Life for You: Jeffrey Hayes: “Sliced Lemon”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2012 (sold) “I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.” – Mary Cassatt
Today’s Still Life for You: Jeffrey Hayes: “Lemon, Tea, and Rug No. 1”, Acrylic on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015 (sold) “The tea-masters held that real appreciation of art is only possible to those who make of it a living influence. Thus they sought to regulate their daily life by the high standard of refinement which […]
Today’s Still Life for you: “Red Apple No. 5”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2012 (sold) “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” -Martin Luther
Today’s painting for you: “Suspended Creamer”, Oil on Panel, 5×3.5 inches, 2010 (sold) I hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Red Plum on Green Silk”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2013 Have you ever been curious about that white film that appears on certain fruits and vegetables? It’s called epicuticular wax, and it is indeed a wax that plants produce to coat their skins. The main function is to prevent moisture loss, […]
Today’s painting for you: “Chinese Tea No. 2”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2010 (sold) “Some people will tell you there is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Letters and Social Aims
Today’s painting for you: “Meditation Pose”, Oil on Linen, 8×10 inches, 2012 (sold) Every day I’m intrigued by the way a few simple objects, arranged in just the right way, can tell a story. I certainly had one in mind for this piece, but in a way, that doesn’t even matter. The real point of […]
Today’s painting for you: “Two Creamers”, Oil on Panel, 6×5 inches, 2011 (sold) The real star of today’s painting is the backdrop cloth, proving a point I make often: Foreground and background are not really fixed concepts in painting. I hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Boxed Bottle”, Oil on Panel, 15×5 inches, 2013 (available) Today’s piece is the twin to the one I shared yesterday, and together they’re the only trompe l’oeil (fool they eye) paintings I’ve done. Matched sets of paintings – also known as pendants – are great exercises in composition. I’m forced to […]
Today’s painting for you: “Boxed Olives”, Oil on Panel, 15×5 inches, 2013 (available) I’ve really only done 2 paintings that could be considered Trompe-l’œil (fool the eye) – this one and it’s twin, which I’ll show tomorrow. I love looking at paintings in this genre – in fact it’s one of my favorite types to look […]
Today’s painting for you: “Dragons No. 1”, Oil on Wood, 2.5×2.5 inches, 2012 (sold) Something a little different for you today. This tiny painting – it would fit comfortably in the palm of my hand – is a closeup of one of my favorite props. It’s a heavy Chinese incense burner… actually the first thing […]
Today’s painting for you: “Three on a Ledge”, Acrylic on Panel, 5×6 inches, 2014 (sold) Today’s a bright and sunny day before the holiday, so I thought I’d show you bright and sunny painting. This is one of the first pieces I did with a sky background – with the intent of bringing elements of […]
Today’s painting for you: “Ikura Sushi”, Oil on Linen on Panel, 10×8 inches, 2007 (sold) Wow – that one’s 10 years old. Sushi doesn’t play a big part in my artistic imagination these days, but at one point it sure did. I never counted, but I’m certain I made more than 50 sushi paintings, mostly […]
Today’s painting for you: “Kitchen Still Life with Red Box”, Oil on Linen, 8×10 inches, 2012 (sold) This week I’m working on another painting featuring a strong shadow on a lemon. That made me think about this one. It’s in the tradition of Spanish kitchen still life paintings, also known as Bodegóns. These often austere paintings […]
Today’s Painting for you: “Quintet on Golden Brocade”, Oil on Panel, 2.5×6 inches, 2013 (sold) Artists obsess about painting edges, since that’s where all the drama is. The boundary between two objects can be so soft and blurred that the eye slips right over almost without noticing it. Or, it can be so hard and […]
Today’s painting for you: “Bottleneck No. 3”, Oil on Panel, 2.5×3.5 inches, 2009 (sold) Yesterday I showed you one of the most complicated paintings I’ve done, so today I thought I’d share one of the simplest. Seven or eight years ago I did a short series of just necks and openings of bottles with their […]
Today’s painting for you: “Silver, Wine, and Cheese”, Oil on Panel, 24×24 inches, 2012 (sold) In some ways, I’d have to say this is my most ambitious painting so far. That brocaded cloth was every bit as much work as you probably imagine. I often get asked how long it takes to produce a painting […]
Today’s painting for you: “Teacup with Cherries IV”, Oil on Wood, 2.5×2.5 inches, 2013 (sold) I hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Fruit Tart No. 1”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2012 (sold) Are you hungry now? Food is absolutely one of the most basic subjects for still life painters. Eating is the most fundamental human drive. Each and every one of us to satisfy that hunger several times every day. Combining that […]
Today’s painting for you: “Forum No. 15”, Oil on Panel, 2×5 inches, 2013 (sold) As you can see from the number, this has been a long-running series. Beyond these particular “Forum” pieces, I’ve probably made in excess of 100 paintings of marbles. Working in series is a wonderful and powerful way to make paintings, […]
Today’s painting for you: “Sweet Tooth No. 6”, Oil on Panel, 3×3 inches, 2015 (sold) Here is a recent miniature painting for you – this one just 3 by 3 inches. I love miniatures. There’s something magic about creating an entire artistic world that fits in the palm of your hand. When I do my […]
Today’s painting for you: “Orange No. 4”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 (sold) A couple days ago I wrote a post about backgrounds. This is a much more traditional foreground/background arrangement than the other painting I showed. The idea, however, is still the same: Background is never just background. I wanted the pattern on […]
Today’s painting for you: “Red and Yellow and Gold”, Acrylic on Panel, 2.5×2.5 inches, 2014 (sold) Just like yesterday’s painting, I feel this one doesn’t look nearly as good in a large image as one about the actual size of the painting. If you enjoy these teacup paintings, please stay tuned. So far this year, […]
Today’s painting for you: “Shotglass and Orange on Oriental Rug”, Oil on Wood, 2.5×2.5 inches, 2012 (sold). There’s that rug again. Scale is a tricky thing. This painting is tiny – just 2.5 x 2.5 inches. The software I use to create this blog automatically inserts large images into my posts. When I inserted this […]
Today’s painting for you: “Sextet on Blue Silk”, Oil on Panel, 2.5×6 inches, 2013 (sold) Looking at today’s painting is a good reminder to myself that background is never just background. I remember when I set this up thinking about composing it in a way that the designs on the silk mattered. I wanted them […]
Today’s painting for you: “Tea and Oranges”, Oil on Panel, 15×24 inches, 2011 (sold) A few days ago, the collector who purchased this piece told me he thought this was still my best work. I was touched by that, and wanted to share the painting with you. I can’t say if he’s right, but it […]
Today’s painting for you: “The Oracle”, Oil on Canvas, 8×16 inches, 2013 (sold) If today’s painting from 2013 looks like a forerunner to the pieces I’m working on right now, well… it is. It’s powerful to work in series of paintings – it gives a strong opportunity to delve deeply into a subject and look […]
Today’s painting for you: “Jade Bowl, Grapes, Tibetan Rug”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015 (sold) I just love this rug – I’ve probably painted it a dozen times, and featured a related series of them in some recent posts – “Creamer, Grapes, Tibetan Rug“, “Handmade Bowl, Grapes, Tibetan Rug“, and “Silver, Grapes, Tibetan Rug“. This […]
Today’s painting for you: “Sushi No. 19”, Oil on Panel, 5×6 inches, 2012 (sold) Are you a sushi lover? Maybe you know what this particular roll is… I have to confess that I don’t. While I love painting sushi, and have come to enjoy eating it, I am by no means an expert on it. […]
Today’s still life painting for you: “Camembert, Knife, Crackers”, Oil on Panel, 5×10 inches, 2009 (sold) Nothing says DRAMA like a narrowly focused beam of bright light in a sea of darkness. Caravaggio knew it. Hollywood knew it during the black and white era. Retailers know it. I’m pretty sure the latter two ultimately learned […]
Today’s painting for you: “Heroic Marbles I”, Acrylic on Panel, 2×5 inches, 2014 (sold) I’d like to wish all of my friends here in the USA a happy Memorial Day, and to honor those who have given their lives in service to this country. Without their sacrifice, I would not be writing this blog post… Thank […]
Today’s painting for you: “Teacup with Oriental Rug XII”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015 (sold) Some of the objects appearing in my paintings have colorful histories. That rug serving as a backdrop, for instance. I found it in the fragments pile in the dim back room of an old, old rug store about 20 […]
Today’s painting for you: “Garlic, Olives, Tomatoes, Butter”, Oil on Linen, 11×16 inches, 2012 (available) “Still Life” is a poor label for this type of art. Often enough, what we’re really depicting is drama. This painting is available. Please contact me if you’d like to discuss bringing it into your collection. I hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Fragment: Antique Copper Tankard”, Oil on Panel, 2×0.5 inches, 2011 (sold) Today’s painting is one of my real miniatures; it’s only half an inch wide by two inches tall. While I don’t focus much on such small paintings anymore, I do love creating a world on such a tiny scale. I […]
Today’s painting for you: “Suspended Teacup”, Oil on Panel, 5×3.5 inches, 2010 (sold) I hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Pomegranate No. 3”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 (sold) So I started this week of simple fruit paintings with a pomegranate, and it seems fitting to bring that full circle. It’s resting on a beautiful pewter candlestick that I bought in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I hope you enjoy it, and […]
Today’s painting for you: “Green Apple No. 4”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 (sold) As I said a few days ago, it’s all about capturing that one, specific, individual thing in front of me. Blemishes and beauty are always wrapped up in the same package. I hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Tangerine No. 2”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 (sold) I must’ve been in a pretty cheerful mood when I did this painting. There aren’t too many places in my studio that get direct sunshine for hours, but there is one shelf that does, and I’ve taken good advantage of it […]
Today’s painting for you: “Red Apple No. 4”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2012 (sold) It’s easy enough to paint a generic apple – really, anybody with about a week’s worth of training in the fundamentals of this craft could do it. The real skill, and the real artistry, shows in capturing that one […]
Today’s painting for you: “Pomegranate No. 2”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 (sold) My life has felt complicated lately, so at the moment I just feel like looking at simple things. In fact, this week I think I’ll only show some of the individual fruit and vegetable studies I’ve done over the years. Simplicity […]
Today’s painting for you: “Two Creamers and Orange”, Oil on Panel, 7×12 inches, 2010 (sold) It’s a really, really good thing when looking at an old painting makes me want to get back in the studio and work even harder. In fact, I’m starting another painting today using a few oranges and that silver creamer. […]
Today’s painting for you: “Creamer, Grapes, Tibetan Rug”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015 (sold) And here is one more with that beautiful little Tibetan rug I enjoy so much. Even within the confines of such a small painting, it’s great to be able to work with three such different surface textures; the creamer – […]
Today’s painting for you: “In the Red”, Oil on Panel, 2.5×6 inches, 2013 (sold) That certainly is my studio reflected in the large steel marble. I’m thinking about marbles a lot lately since they’re the subject of my current commission. You can follow that project and watch as it progresses: www.jeffhayes.com/collectors Hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Handmade Bowl, Grapes, Tibetan Rug”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 Inches (Available) Here’s another painting with that small Tibetan rug I mentioned a few days ago. There’s something gratifying about working with handmade objects in my paintings – in this case both the rug and the bowl. I suppose the intimacy that […]
Today’s painting for you “Chinese Ginger Jar with Strawberry”, Oil on Panel, 8×8 inches, 2012 (sold) One of the best reasons to show older paintings like this is that it helps me with my future work. I often get reminded of good ideas and approaches I’ve had in the past that for one reason or […]
Today’s painting for you: “Japanese Brush and Wineglass”, Oil on Panel, 5×6 inches, 2008 (sold)
Today’s painting for you: “Pear No. 7”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 (sold) The column this pear rests on is one of my better ideas: Just a 1-foot section of 4×4 post, wrapped in some cloth from my samples collection. It provides a dramatic foundation for the painting, and also an interesting way to […]
Today’s painting for you: “Silver, Grapes, Tibetan Rug”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015 (sold) This Tibetan rug is an absolute favorite of mine, which I brought back from a visit to some of the large Tibetan monasteries in southern India. It’s a tiny meditation mat – only about 18×18 inches – but everything about […]
Today’s Painting for you: “Eternal Light No. 1”, Oil on Linen, 16×44 inches, 2016 (Available) Good morning all, This is a day for some new beginnings in my life, both personally and professionally (more on that later), and I’m very excited and optimistic about all of it. In line with my sunny mood, I […]
Today’s painting for you: “Eggshells, Tankard, Orange”, Acrylic on Panel, 5×6 inches, 2015 (sold) I’m in the last week of working on my website project. It goes live next Monday (May 1). I’m sure one or two of you are wondering why this is taking so long, but it isn’t just a matter of […]
Today’s painting for you: “Waterglass and Lemon”, Oil on Panel, 6×5 inches, 2010 One of the as-yet unread books on my shelf is Newton’s Opticks. I bought it several years ago just so I could better understand visual effects like this – where glasses of water act like mirrors and prisms. My list of books […]
Today’s painting for you: “Teacup”, Oil on Panel, 6×8 inches, 2007 (sold) So yesterday was a state holiday in Massachusetts; Patriot’s Day, which commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord in the Revolutionary War. I needed a day off, so I took it. Feels great to just shut everything off for a day, and it […]
Today’s painting for you: “Still Life with Olive Jar”, Oil on Linen, 8×10 inches, 2013 (sold) The most engaging part of working on this painting was the stone slab, hands down. Capturing the veins of different colors, and especially the rough textures of the broken face, made for a whole day of intricate and absorbing work. […]
Today’s painting for you: “Quintet on Red Brocade”, Oil on Panel, 2.5×6 inches, 2013 (sold) So that is my studio reflected in the large steel marble. I have a large window by my easel, which is the lightest area reflected on the left. The sort of triangular black shape next to it is actually a wall […]
Today’s painting for you: “First Among Equals”, Oil on Canvas, 20×50 inches, 2013 At 20×50 inches, I think this is my biggest painting so far, and to me it felt like painting a mural. It now graces a corporate boardroom in Kansas City, which was an unexpected and delightful destination for it. I hope they […]
Today’s painting for you: “Silver Creamer and Peeled Orange”, Oil on Panel, 5×6 inches, 2011 Posting my older paintings, one a day, like I’ve been doing over the past month has been a great exercise for me. Before this, I’ve never really taken the time to look at my whole body of work in a […]
Today’s painting for you: “Orange Slices and Glass”, Oil on Canvas, 30×24 inches, 2008 I often have the sneaking feeling that I’m not supposed to like my older paintings – especially those that I made close to the beginning of my career. That’s because I’ve presumably improved somewhat in the intervening years. While it’s true […]
Today’s painting for you: “Sushi No. 30”, Oil on Panel, 4×10 inches, 2011 I’ve painted a lot of sushi in my career. A lot – as you can see from the title of this painting. The narrowly focused lighting from above made this composition especially dramatic. I hope you enjoy it!
Today’s painting for you: “Suspended Teacup No. 2”, Oil on Panel, 8×4 inches, 2011 Today’s painting from the vault – from 2011 – is a real favorite of mine. Around that time I got interested in surrounding the painting area with an arch of some kind – in this case a Moorish arch found in […]
Today’s painting for you: “Copper and Garlic”, Oil on Panel, 3.5×3.5 inches, 2009 This week I am rolling up my sleeves and tackling a long overdue project: the redesign of my website. There won’t be much in the way of new work over the next few days, but I will keep showing these older paintings. […]
Today’s painting for you: “Fragment: Eggshell, Knife, Imari”, Oil on Panel, 2.5×3.5 inches, 2009 Having already posted 2 of the Imari bowl paintings I did years ago, I figured I might as well continue. This is another painting from about the same time as the others – I like this composition, and think I might […]
Today’s painting for you: “Imari, Glass Jar, Sugarbowl”, Oil on Linen on Panel, 6×6 inches, 2008 Today’s painting from the vault goes back to about the same time as yesterday’s painting – 2008. For some reason, I painted that Imari bowl about half a dozen times back then, and never since. I’m not entirely sure […]
Today’s painting for you: “Knife and Imari”, Oil on Panel, 4×10 inches, 2008 Today’s painting goes all the way back to 2008, about the time I was starting to paint only still life. There are a lot of things I’d do differently with this painting today, but there are a lot of things I’d do […]
Today’s painting for you: “Still Life with Miniature Pumpkin”, Oil on Panel, 10×10 inches, 2015 Today’s painting from the vault features a work from 2015. I wanted a background that was very close to the objects, so I could capture that shadow from the wineglass. A large piece of marble tile did the trick, and […]
Today’s painting for you: “Two on a Vine No. 2”, Oil on Panel, 4×4 inches, 2010 Today’s painting from the vault goes all the way back to 2010. I employ a shadow box in my studio that allows me to create dramatic lighting situations with narrowly focused beams of light coming from above.
Today’s Painting for you: “Teacup, Grapes, Oriental Rug”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015
“Contemplation: Silver and Orange”, oil on linen on panel, 9×12 inches Contemplation refers both to deep reflective thought, as well as the action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time. The aim of this painting is to inspire both. By creating a calm, quiet stage, it invites you to settle in, close off […]
“Contemplation: Silver and Orange”, oil on linen on panel, 9×12 inches Contemplation refers both to deep reflective thought, as well as the action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time. The aim of this painting is to inspire both. By creating a calm, quiet stage, it invites you to settle in, close off […]
“Contemplation: Oranges, Olives, Ginger Jar”, oil on linen on panel, 9×12 inches Contemplation refers both to deep reflective thought, as well as the action of looking thoughtfully at something for a long time. The aim of this painting is to inspire both. By creating a calm, quiet stage, it invites you to settle in, close […]
Today’s painting for you “Teacup with Oriental Rug XIV”, Oil on Panel, 5×5 inches, 2015 This painting – along with about 60 others – will be in my show this weekend – you can find all of the details by clicking here. Please come see it in person!
A Painting for You “Pear, Waterglass, and Oriental Rug”, Oil on Panel, 12×12 inches, 2013 One of my favorite effects to play with in my paintings is the way in which a glass full of water will become a mirror if viewed from the right angle. You can see that here in the reflection […]
Tangerine, Knife, Shotglass “Tangerine, Knife, Shotglass”, Oil on Linen, 24×30 inches, 2014 Preparations for this weekend’s show are coming along. All of the painting is done, and now I’m immersed in all the behind-the-scenes work and details that go into making one of these events happen. This painting – a riot of reflections and hightlights […]
Outside Looking In “Outside Looking In”, Oil on Linen, 30×30 inches, 2014 Sometimes I get the sneaking feeling that everybody else is having more fun than me, so I concocted this composition with the peach and lone cherry stuck outside wondering what’s going on in there. Of course, the cherries crammed inside the jar are […]
Vessels and Cloths “Vessels and Cloths”, Oil on Canvas, 20×16 inches, 2016 The different textures of the objects in this painting – glass, metal, and ceramic – made for a wonderful exploration of how light interacts with each of these kinds of surfaces. I also loved playing with the contrast between the fiery warm and […]
Paperweight: Blue Pitcher “Paperweight: Blue Pitcher”, Oil on Wood, 2×1.5 inches, 2012 This is one of my truly small paintings – at just 2×1.5 inches, there are postage stamps the same size.
Gourd with Jar of Blueberries “Gourd with Jar of Blueberries”, Oil on Panel, 6×5 inches, 2012
Forum No. 11 “Forum No. 11”, Oil on Panel, 2×5 inches, 2012 It’s kind of funny to look at the scale of the triptych I just finished (about 18×60 inches) and this painting (about the size of a dollar bill). Similar compositions, similar impact, but opposite ends of the size spectrum.
Teacup on Oriental Rug No. 2 “Teacup on Oriental Rug No. 2”, Oil on Wood, 2.5×2.5 inches, 2012
Three against Two “Three against Two”, Oil on Linen, 2.5×6 inches, 2013 One of my small group marble portraits from a few years ago, with a little bit of an adversarial posture. I’ve done some big marble paintings recently, but looking at this makes me ready to do a few smaller ones as well.
Handmade Teacup Against Violet “Handmade Teacup Against Violet”, Acrylic on Panel, 2.5×2.5 inches, 2014
Teacup with Oriental Rug No. 10 “Teacup with Oriental Rug No. 10”, Oil on Panel, 2.5×2.5 inches, 2013
Grapes and Ocean Sunset I “Grapes and Ocean Sunset I”, Acrylic on Panel, 5×6 inches, 2014
Silver Teapot and Glass “Silver Teapot and Glass”, Oil on Linen on Panel, 8×10 inches, 2007
Wisdom No. 4 “Wisdom No. 4” Oil on wood with silver leaf, 3×3 inches I truly wish I had more time to read. It’s a very pale substitute, but somehow these small bookshelf paintings bring me a little closer to the written word. On Etsy This painting is available in my Etsy store: http://etsy.me/2llPbrq
Wisdom No. 3 “Wisdom No. 3” is the next painting of my imaginary bookshelf series. I wish I had time to read more books, but at least I can paint them! The edges of this paintings are covered with gold leaf which has been lightly distress to give it an antiqued appearance.It measures 3×3 inches, […]
Twilight Orange “Twilight Orange” is the next painting of my fruits-on-a-shelf series. Here it’s a Seville Orange enjoying the glow of the end of the day. The edges of this paintings are covered with silver leaf which has been lightly distress to give it an antiqued appearance. It measures 3×3 inches, and is roughly 1 […]
Cherry Love No. 2 “Cherry Love No. 2” is the next painting of my fruits-on-a-shelf series. These two are resting on the ledge, enjoying each others’ company. The edges of this paintings are covered with silver leaf which has been lightly distress to give it an antiqued appearance. It measures 3×3 inches, and is roughly […]
Painting of the Week “Chinese Teapot, Bottle, Cherries, Sky” Oil on linen on panel, 10×10 inches (25×25 cm) Click here for larger images and purchase information A small Chinese teapot sits with a weathered glass bottle and cherries against a vast summer sky.
Today I decided to share something a little different. I do quite a lot of sketches and studies during the course of any given week, some related to whatever my current project is, some to learn something new or work out a technical issue, and some just for my own fun and satisfaction. These are […]
Painting of the Week “Tibetan Bell, Bottle, Cherries, Sky” Oil on linen on panel, 10×10 inches (25×25 cm) Click here for larger images and purchase information A Tibetan hand bell, used for ceremonial purposes sits with a weathered glass bottle and cherries against a vast summer sky.
Painting of the Week “Glass, Cherries, Shell, Sky” Oil on linen on panel, 10×10 inches (25×25 cm) Click here for larger images and purchase information An antique bottle, cherries, and a weathered seashell resting on a marble shelf, against the backdrop of a brilliant summer sky. Studio Update Here is a video of this painting, […]
Paintings of the Week This week I can show all three of the shell paintings in their finished form: “Monumental Shell I” Oil on linen on panel, 10×10 inches (25×25 cm). Private Collection Larger images “Monumental Shell II” Oil on linen on panel, 10×10 inches (25×25 cm). Private Collection Larger images “Monumental Shell III” Oil […]
Painting of the Week “Pillars of Light” Oil on Canvas, 18×24 inches, framed. Click here for larger images and purchase information Each of these vessels – a stoneware bowl, an Imari jar, an antique wine jar, a crystal goblet, and a ginger jar wrapped in wicker – receives the light in a different way, and […]
NOTE: I wrote and intended to publish this post last week, but somehow it stayed in draft status and did not appear on my blog. So… here it is a week late. Paintings of the Week This week I’m pleased to present a matched set of trompe l’oeil paintings: “Boxed Olives” Oil on panel, 15×5 […]
Painting of the Week “Cream, Cherries, and Sky” Oil on panel, 5×5 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information An antique porcelain creamer with gold trim, arranged with cherries on a stone shelf and viewed from an angle, all with the deep sky as the backdrop. Studio Update The first of the three commissioned shell […]
Painting of the Week “Symposium No. 2” Acrylic on panel, 2.5×3.5 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information The design of the arch framing this whimsical scene comes from an actual doorway that I sketched during a visit to the city of Jodhpur in Northern India. Studio Update More traveling, and more company this week, […]
Painting of the Week “Fruit, Water, Gothic Window” Acrylic on panel, 1.5×1.75 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information Painted from imagination, and about the size of a large U.S. postage stamp. Studio Update It’s vacation time; I’ve been in Michigan for a family visit, and have more company coming this week. Nevertheless, I have […]
Painting of the Week “Kitchen Still Life with Olive Jar” Oil on linen on panel, 9×12 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information A kitchen still life, with a nod to one of my favorite painters, Melendez. Starting with a few simple items, I crowded the composition a little more than I usually do to […]
Painting of the Week “Golden Teacup on Red II” Oil on panel, 3×3 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information Studio Update This week I was able to finish one set of paintings and begin another. I’ve been working on a series of miniature shell paintings; about 10 of them are done now, so that’s […]
Painting of the Week “Thingamajig No. 3” Acrylic on panel, 3×3 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information I have a long list of house maintenance projects to get through this weekend, so this painting came to mind. I don’t actually use this sander for day-to-day work, but it has a character that I love, […]
Painting of the Week “Golden Teacup and Cherries on Damask” Oil on panel, 3×3 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information Studio Update My office computer is in total meltdown this week (one of the drives crashed). Fortunately, it hasn’t affected my ability to paint, but it has made it difficult to get the kinds […]
Painting of the Week “Cherries and Handmade Teacup” Oil on panel, 3×3 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information Over the years this teacup has turned out to be one of my favorite things to paint. There’s something honest and simple about good handmade work; it’s no different than what I do in the studio […]
Painting of the Week “Salt, Cherries, and Sky” Oil on panel, 5×5 inches, framed. Larger images and purchase information One thing I find myself seeking out lately – both in my own work and in paintings I choose to spend time with – is a certain clarity of the light. I’d be hard pressed to […]
“Teacup Noir”Oil on Panel, 3×3 inches, framedPrivate Collection This week in the Studio:I’ve begun a set of 10×10 still lifes with sky backgrounds. Here are some in-progress shots of the first of these:
“Tangerine No. 2” • Oil on Panel • 4×4 inches (10×10 cm) • 2010Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Lemon No. 2” • Oil on Panel • 4×4 inches (10×10 cm) • 2010Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Two Blueberries on Granite” • Oil on Wood • 2.5×2.5 inches (6×6 cm) • 2012Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Gourd with Jar of Blueberries” • Oil on Panel • 6×5 inches (15×12 cm) • 2012AvailableDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Lime, Plum, Figs, Clementine” • Oil on Linen • 20×48 inches (50×120 cm) • 2013AvailableDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“The Oracle” • Oil on Canvas • 8×16 inches (20×40 cm) • 2013AvailableDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Red Plum II” • Oil on Panel • 5×5 inches (12×12 cm) • 2013Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Three Bottles” • Oil on Linen on Panel • 6×5 inches (15×12 cm) • 2008Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Walnut and Eggshell” Acrylic on Panel, 3×3 inches Now At Auction
“Forum No. 10” • Oil on Panel • 2×5 inches (5×12 cm) • 2012Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Still Life with Green Marble Egg and Lemon” • Oil on Panel • 5×11 inches (12×27 cm) • 2009Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Forum No. 5” • Oil on Panel • 2×5 inches (5×12 cm) • 2012Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Two on a Vine No. 2” • Oil on Panel • 4×4 inches (10×10 cm) • 2010Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Tea Time” • Oil on Panel • 6×5 inches (15×12 cm) • 2008Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Bell Pepper” • Oil on Panel • 5×5 inches (12×12 cm) • 2013AvailableDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“AppleApple” • Acrylic on Panel • 4×4 inches (10×10 cm) • 2013Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Orange Slices and Glass” • Oil on Canvas • 30×24 inches (75×60 cm) • 2008AvailableDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Teacup on Oriental Rug VI” • Oil on Wood • 2.5×2.5 inches (6×6 cm) • 2013Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Sushi No. 23” • Oil on Panel • 4×10 inches (10×25 cm) • 2012AvailableDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Teacup No. 2” • Oil on Panel • 6×5 inches (15×12 cm) • 2008Private CollectionDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Glass Bottle and Blue Plate” • Oil on Panel • 10×5 inches (25×12 cm) • 2008AvailableDetails page To see more paintings like this one, please click here.
“Golden Teacup No. 2” features a porcelain teacup with a wedge of lemon and a silver spoon, all resting on embroidered silk against a purple backdrop. It’s as though it was just waiting for you to take the next sip of tea. The gold tones throughout the painting contrast vividly with the purples – […]
“Tea and Oranges”, oil on panel, 15×24 inches An exuberant study in light, detail, and texture, “Tea and Oranges”, captures a moment of pure elegance and refinement. Clear, soft light suffuses the entire composition, setting up a balanced interplay between the cool tones of the teacup and teapot, and the warm tones of the cloth […]
“Two Creamers and Orange”, oil on panel, 7×12 inches Soft, clear light fading off towards the edges lend “Two Creamers and Orange” a calming, gentle mood with a suggestion of mystery. Background is never just background, nor is foreground just foreground, and this painting is dedicated to that notion. The richly brocaded cloth forming […]
“Four Oranges”, oil on panel, 16×20 inches A narrow beam of light shot into the darkness provides a dramatic setting for this painting. On the one hand, it provides brilliant illumination for objects directly in its path, such as the ginger jar and the crystal wine decanter. On the other hand, the objects outside […]