"Peppers"     6" x 6"

I'm really having fun painting these bright veggies.  Tomorrow I will be participating in the Shorewood Plein Air contest, and it will go through Saturday. Hopefully I will have some of those paintings to post after Saturday.  Think this is the last contest of the season for me, a bit bittersweet.  It's always so fun to paint and hang out with other artists all summer at these events, and then I don't get to see many of my painting friends till next summer.  But I also look forward to heading out on my own this fall to paint the season!

Oranges

"Oranges      6" x 6"

This is the first of 3 small still life paintings I'm going to do, and then I will be putting them together on one long black panel.  Hope to post the next one tomorrow.

Black eyed susan's and snap dragons

Black eyed susan's with snap dragons       5" x 7"  Available

I am trying to get out and paint the flowers before they are all gone.  Did this little study yesterday, and  I'm finding I really enjoy painting this size!

Hot Sauce 2

Hot Sauce # 2          6" x 6"

I actually did this little still life in the January challenge, but never felt it was really done, so I reworked it, added much more vibrant colors, and like it much better now.

Hot Sauce

"Hot Sauce"  6" x 8"

Another little still life for my painting today.  I love this bottle of hot sauce, and have used it in a number of still life paintings.  It's been fun to use really bright colors for these.

Tomatoes and Peppers

"Tomatoes and Peppers"  6" x 6"

I need to finish a few small still life paintings for a gallery I'm in, and it works out well to be down in my studio right now, since the hot, humid weather has moved in!  I love all the bright colors of these vegetables.  I usually put a redish/yellow wash on my painting before I start, and then as I paint it gets covered up.  I decided for something different, I would just leave the wash this time.

Summer's End

"Summer's End"   9" x 12"  Available

This is the second painting I did at the New Berlin Plein Air contest.  I was actually at the same farm as yesterday's painting, and in fact, I was just facing the other way to paint this one.

The Old Farmstead

"The Old Farmstead"  11" x 14"  Available

Okay, I know I haven't been keeping up with my daily posts.  Oh well....  I've been busy participating in a Plein Air contest in New Berlin, Wis.  I painted for 2 days there, at this beautiful farm.  The owners have lived here all their lives; and they are now 86.
They were so nice and welcoming, once they realized that we didn't want to actually paint their barns, but rather wanted to paint a picture of their farm.  I even got to sample the cucumber and onion dish the farmer's wife was making.  It was great!  I really liked the variety of shapes of buildings, and enjoyed painting this view.  It was perfect weather to paint!

"Golden" #3

"Golden"     7" x 9"   Available

I started the day painting in the downtown area of where I live.  After about an hour,  I realized I picked way too complicated a view for my daily paint for today.  So I packed up, went home and had lunch (always a good thing to do when things aren't working out as planned), and started again, this time in my garden.  Only a few flowers are left, but they just glowed in the afternoon sun.

Oranges and Limes # 2

Oranges and Limes   8" x 8"   Available

Well, the plan for today had been to get up early and paint outside before our neighborhood block party.  I got up, but the sun did not!!  Not raining, but no sun, so the party will go on, but I had to paint in my studio today.

The Garden #1

The Garden     8" x 10"  

Well, here we go again, the 30 day challenge.  I did this in January, and really enjoyed it.  That time I did small still life paintings; mostly 6" by 6".  I painted from life, not photos, and I plan to do the same this time.  This time, since the weather should be quite good, I hope to paint outside each day, and I want to work on painting lights and shadows.   I also think I will probably try and paint flowers while they still are around.  We'll see......