Last week we looked at 3 completed fruit paintings that included a squished orange.
I began 3 more fruit oil paintings (I AM a Central California artist, after all!) because I had 3 more of those extra thick canvases.
Then, I looped back to the squished orange and unsquished it.
Can you see the difference?
Squished.
Unsquished.
Looping around with my fruits.
My friend/customer LOVED these paintings, including the extra thick canvases. Yea!
However, I studied the orange painting and realized it isn’t symmetrically round like an orange – it is squished on the left side.
Back to the easels. . .
Mountain Quail are different from California Quail. One is in the mountains, one is in the lower elevations. I don’t know the specific elevations. Both are in California, but one is the state bird and one is not.
I painted a California Quail working from a photo that I took right out my studio window. Apparently I have been sort of distracted, not paying attention with all my focus.
California Quail, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $60
Trail Guy carefully appreciates “his” quail, and pointed out my mistake while reading my blog. Yep, my husband reads my blog. (I might be more interesting on the screen than in person.) Thank you, Michael!! You catch my mistakes and I appreciate it.
Silly me. I should have figured out that dry brownish-yellowish grasses are a sign that the bird is down the hill, not in Mineral King.
You are probably wondering what a Mountain Quail looks like. I haven’t painted one yet, but do have several photos.
It would be easier if they would assume the same position, hold the same pose, so we could carefully examine their differences. But, like their California cousins, they are very skittish, and so far I can only photograph them from indoors right through the window.
Hence, quail confusion.
“Oil Paintings, Completed!” with an exclamation point, because it feels like an accomplishment to have a finished piece. (Currently I have about 6 pencil commissions, all on hold while people ponder their options.)
Backcountry Lake, 10×10″, oil on wrapped canvas, $150
Mountain California Quail, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $60
You can click on the price to take you to the page where they are available for sale. Or you can use the Contact button under “About The Artist” in the menu above to buy them. Or you can simply enjoy them here on your screen.
Remember these wildflower oil painting beginnings? First, I drew them with my paintbrush.
Stage two was to get the first layer of color down.
The real fun was putting in the detail.
It isn’t often that I get to paint with these colors, and it just makes my heart sing.
Lalalalalalala! LALALALALA!
Excuse me. Got a little carried away with that purplish-pink.
Now I just know you are singing too!
Top to bottom: Jeffrey Shooting Star, Leopard Lily, Foxglove. Yes, I know foxgloves are not native flowers around here, but they certainly go wild!
These are commissioned oil paintings of wildflowers. When they are dry, I’ll sign them, then scan them, then probably wrap and deliver. (It’s a wrap – another wildflower song in the can!)
Please excuse me for bombarding you with 2 posts in one day. There are two pieces of news that cannot wait:
Now, as an apology for bothering you twice in one day, here is a nice painting on which to rest your eyes:
Red Leaf, oil on wrapped canvas (ready to hang), 6×6″, $50
Here are more photos and commentary from the secret oil painting workshop that I gave for my advanced drawing students. There are perquisites to taking drawing lessons – I lend photos, do scanning and photoshop prep for turning drawings into cards, and give secret oil painting workshops, among other benefits.
We decided that the fruit on the left must be a pluot. This painter was not happy with her painting but the rest of the group thinks it is a fantastic first layer, because IT IS!!
This painter photographed the Tetons while on a road trip. I borrowed a photo to paint from, then lent her my painting because often it is just easier to work from other people’s paintings than a photo or live scene.
This one looks a little weird because the paint was so wet that it really caught the flash on the camera. This painter is very brave – I suggested just picking one pomegranate to paint, and she chose to do all three. This is the first time in at least 40 years that she has oil painted, and this painting will be gorgeous!
This painter is used to extremely detailed pencil drawings and is a little doubtful that her orange will look good. She really dislikes the color of the shadow side of the orange, so next time we will mix something that pleases her.
Oil painting is a ton of work, so I want my students to be very happy with the results. I also have told them that anyone who doesn’t like her painting or can’t finish it can pass it to me and I will complete it for her.
See? Perqs!
That’s right – SECRET oil painting workshop! I’ve only been an oil painter since March 8, 2006, learning by guess and by golly on my own, experimenting and bumbling along, taking and quitting a couple of classes, reading up, asking questions of other painters, watching some videos. What I know, which is precious little, I am willing to share, but only with my drawing students.
Why only them?
I know my students’ abilities and their individual methods of learning, and they know my abilities and style of teaching. The secret oil painting workshop is just for those who are interested (Duh) and for those who are comfortable enough with their drawing skills and the terms we use and techniques we practice.
Because I don’t give drawing lessons in December, we have several Tuesdays to work with. We will do two, but the dates don’t matter, because it is a Secret painting workshop. Two days are necessary because of the slow drying time involved with oil paints, and besides that, it is hard to focus on a project for enough hours to get ‘er dun.
There were 7 students, and at one point I said, “I FEEL LIKE A WAITRESS WITH TOO MANY TABLES!” Lovely people, each one, and a privilege to share what I know about painting. So often I have to say, “I don’t know but I’ve heard you can do this, that or another thing.” Just bumbling along together, and look what we achieved!
After seeing the photo on the digital camera, this painter commented, “I like my wrist”.
We thought this painter had cut out a photo of a lemon and decoupaged it onto a black canvas! Then she began enlarging it, and next week will be adding some sort of a shadow or something in addition to deepening the colors. Next year I will probably be taking painting lessons from her.
The pomegranate looks distorted because of the angle of the camera. The Sequoias need another layer or two and the orange just wants one more layer. Can you tell my students borrow my photos? 😎
The 2015 calendars titled “Beautiful Tulare County” with my current best paintings that fit the format (can you say “run on sentence”??) are available.
It’s Friday, so here is what I have that pertains to Mineral King. These are new oil paintings, some of which are already sold!
Mineral King Flowers, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, sold
Mineral King Big Rock, 6×6″ oil on wrapped canvas, $50
Mineral King Cottonwood Trail, 6×6″, oil on wrapped canvas, $50
Hiking Mineral King, 6×6″ oil on wrapped canvas, $50