Cherries Squared Two  oil  4.5 x 5.75
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Another painting of cherries and cherries.This is a small one, but I'd like to do one that's 8x16, so the cherries are thrown like dice across the fabric. Maybe tomorrow.

Into the Clear Air  oil  7x5
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A friend's yard.  I was trying to capture the effect of the flowers against the dark foliage in the light, with the foreground in shadow. And there were light flowers in the foreground too, adding to the challenge.  It's the idea that the dark t-shirt in the light areas will be darker than the light colored newspaper in the dark.  Clear as mud?

Next spring and summer I'd like to do a series of "Other People's Gardens".  Did a few this summer and found it very satisfying. It's kind of a collaboration- their garden artistry and your painting.

Follow the Crowd  oil  5.75 x 4.5
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Egg painting number 7.  This one's boiled and cut up. It was fun to play with the shapes and shadows, creating movement with pieces of cut up egg.

There's a reason for the weird size.  I lived in China and had cradled wooden boxes made at one of the local art stores. We were working in the metric system. When I lived overseas I realized standard paper size is not 8.5 x 11.

Cherries Squared   oil   8x6
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It's the bounty of summertime.  Saw both of these in their separate bowls on the counter this morning and had to commingle.  I messed with three different background colors- first black, then yellow/ green then this high chroma green. I thought about going back to the yellow green and decided to let it go.  Another painting of more cherries and cherries I think. Some paintings just fall off the brush, others-not so much.

Equal Balance oil  8x6
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The 6th egg painting.  I think of this one as the third in a series with the other two 'egg in a glass' paintings with the dotty pink background. I like working with the shifting view point. This one has upstage theatrical lighting.

Translucence   oil and gold leaf  8.5x8

I have another raw egg painting on the easel but it's just not quite ready for the public. So here's another little raw painting but of a different ilk. The translucence captivated me. I'd love to do these paintings really big.  The gold leaf in the corner is a chinese chop that says "pomegranite". The gold leaf is from a Buddhist temple in Burma.

All the King's Men  oil  8.5x8
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Fifth egg painting. I think it's time to cook up a few.

Green Juice and Eggs   oil   8.5x8
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Here's the fourth raw egg painting.  Love the colors and still celebrating the Pook patterns.  It's a raw egg, but I think it looks a bit fried.  Maybe stayed up too late last night.  I think it's about time to cook an egg or two.

In the Glass Too   oil  8.5x8
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The third egg painting and another Pook background. I'm very happy with these two paintings. For me these two paintings are not about the "thing".  I like that. It's a very subtle distinction.

In the Glass  oil  8x6
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The second egg painting. I was so enthusiastic that I did three today. I'll be posting them in the next few days.

We went to a little film this evening on women cartoonists.  In celebration of Linda Barry, I put the egg in a glass on a patterned background I created.  I call them "Pook" patterns.  Years ago I received a set of ceramic dishware with patterns glazed on- they became known as the Pook Plates.  All broken and gone now, but not forgotten. I usually paint the pattern first and then the surrounding color.  That way you can pick up the edges of the pattern in each additional stroke and integrate it as a whole.

The First Egg   oil   8x6
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I had the idea to make this painting about the unwrapping of a present- just a peak at the egg.  Seems like maybe a bit too much narrative, but I always have a difficult relationship with narrative.

I'm writing a cookbook and plan to do a series of food paintings that are vaguely related to the recipes-just enough to give some structure to subject matter. This is the first one. (I usually wipe the first one of whatever I'm painting).  I've been collecting recipes for a few years from a dear friend and fabulous cook- really gifted. The first chapter is about eggs. I will probably post only one recipe a week as this is an art blog and not a food blog. More eggs coming: boiled, fried, raw, whole and broken, alone and in tandem.

Simple Morning Light  oil  8x6
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This is a northern Wisconsin painting. Went out with my backpack and paints to the end of our dirt road and was met with a confusion of trees (is that like a gaggle of geese?) and undergrowth.  I feel good about this one- I wiped the first one. It was quite the task of abstraction and simplification. And green.

The Green Pool   oil   6x6
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I started this one in class with my students and finished it at home with some pretty dessicated oranges.  I was demoing a complementary color scheme.  I love the cut surfaces and the shapes and shadows they make. The plate is from a friend who collects antique green ware. This color is often the perfect foil for a warm colored piece of fruit.

Rolling Away  oil  8x8
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This is a study in white, white garlic on white paper, but I always see so much color.  Can't wait to paint some more.

Blue Glamour  oil 8x6
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I find the irises so compelling and so difficult to capture.  Perhaps it's the contrast between the light and the dark that makes it tricky. I like finding ways to express the lights in the shadow.

Gathering  oil 10x8
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In the backyard with my easel, with the lawn mower going in the background.

Star Burst  oil  6x8
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How much can I infer without directly stating it?  Sometimes I think I should do a painting and try to "nail" it.  And then paint another one and allow myself to abstract it.  I've even considered putting up two canvases side by side. After 25 years as a medical illustrator old habits die hard.  I'm very happy with the little purple flowers- merely inferred.

Straining Towards the Light oil  6x6
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The cone flowers or echinacea are simply gorgeous this year.  The petals remind me of floppy rabbit ears. I tried to paint them as though the ones closest were leaning in towards me, the ones further away leaning away. I'm going out daily this week to try and capture them.  They're pretty elusive.

Red Trim  6x6 oil
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A sunny morning at 9000 feet. I've admired this little deserted house for several years, especially the way the red has faded to pink on the east face. The morning started sunny and within an hour a storm blew in and I had to run for it.  I guess I've been looking at this house long enough that an hour was enough-good thing I started with the sky.

 Sliced  oil on cradled wooden box  8x6
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Painted this one with a student. Next week I'm going to start a new series based on a cookbook I'm writing. There will be many more vegetables in my future. This coming weeks I hope to be doing a bunch of plein air.

Green Bottle   oil on cradled wooden box   8 5/8x7 7/8
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A shallow stage for these little white daisies and a dotty background.  I was in a band in the 90's called the "dotgals"- we played old time music (I was the guitar player).  So a dot background is always alluring to me.

 Feel the Delight oil 8x6
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Flowers in a jar- what could be more simple.  I'm always trying to maintain the looseness and it's not always easy, but this one makes me pretty happy.

River Reflections oil 6x6
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Painted on one of our hazy days here in Chicagoland. A rare opportunity for atmospheric perpective here in the flatlands.

Welcome Home oil 10x8
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I painted this one with a student. The light on the steps and the house in the late afternoon sun caught my eye and the flowers on the steps gave me a chance to play with some spots of color.  I talk to my students about painting shapes of color and value rather than "things".  It  particularly holds true when painting vegetation. I thought about calling this blog "It's Not About the Thing". I may still do that.

Some Scrap of Shadow  6x6 oil
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Another plein air from this week.  I've passed this house/bungalow many times in past 2 or 3 years.  It hit me as I drove by today that it was the perfect time to come and paint. Did you know that you can eat nasturtiums? Delicious in salads.