Still Life
Mandarin Oranges, oil paintings
First day of Schaumburg’s Prairie Plein Air Competition, and the weather is fine :). I’m working indoors today, but I did make it out to have my panels stamped in preparation for outdoor painting next week. These events are so fun – I get to meet artists in person that I only know online, like Maggie Capettini last year and Kate Burlette today! We get to make artwork between now and May 11, and the reception is at the Prairie Center for the Arts on May 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. I’m looking forward to seeing artists there, and in action over the next two weeks.
Oil Painting: Pink Cosmos
Here’s a warm-up piece I did today, to prepare for this weekend’s outdoor painting event: Northbrook’s Paint the Town. On Friday and Saturday 30 artists will be painting outdoors throughout Northbrook. Sunday morning there will be a quick-paint event in the Village Green, a painting demonstration by award-winning artist Steve Puttrich, and an exhibition and sale of finished paintings, with awards ceremony. The weather forecast is for rain, rain, rain, which just adds to the adventure and excitement, right? Yes.
Meanwhile, I have been busy carving linoleum blocks for prints (I love printmaking!) I will post here and in my etsy shop soon.
These cosmos are among the last of my garden flowers for the year. It’s been a dry summer and I’m not the best about watering regularly. I’ve been tilling and mulching to get a head start on spring planting. I’m also saving seeds this fall. It has been a “next-year” kind of year around here. I look forward to seeing how some of the perennials and bulbs I planted and moved around emerge in the spring. Fingers crossed.
Oil Painting: Backlit Peonies
This small painting just got a few final brushstrokes that sent it from “hmm” to “complete.” More beautiful blooms from my good neighbor. We went to the Old Town and Wells Street art fairs in Chicago today – so much beautiful art! I am blown away. I especially loved Signe and Genna Grushovenko’s paintings, the mixed media work of Ronna Katz, and Katie Musolff’s watercolors.
I also just finished watching James Gurney’s Gouache in the Wild video. It was so good, an I hope to tune up my gouache outdoor sketching skills in the coming days and weeks.
Oil painting of Tulips and Catkins
Pink tulips, silvery catkins.
Oil Painting: Mandarin Orange
This is a radiant little orange. I was having some trouble with it – I accidentally put the orange right in the center of the board. I wiped the painting down, started over and it came together. “Brave little orange faces the future.”
Oil Painting: Apple, Branch and Leaves
Spring break, and the sun is out between waves of thunderstorm. We’ve had some fun group painting sessions here this week. I’ll post photos of the work soon. This is a 9 by 12 inch oil on gessoed hardboard.
Oil Painting: Apple with Branch
This painting was quick and painless – nice break from a lingering larger piece that I’m feeling less sure about. I used photos from our visit to an apple orchard last fall. We tried to pick properly without damage to the trees, but a few twig casualties did occur. For painting I like fruit with leaves and sticks attached – nice for context. I also enjoy the effects of light, like that golden, glowing reflection on the white plate.
Oil painting of Cloudette’s White Rose
My daughter has a white rosebush named Cloudette, and this is one of the delicate blooms.
Click on the painting to see it in my etsy shop.
Oil Painting: Pansy Bouquet
At 12 by 16 inches, this painting of a pansy bouquet is on the larger side for me. Thanks to my marvelous neighbor for the flowers. I love the color in the reflection.
Oil Painting: Branch with Apple Blossoms
Whew, busy week. Spring is flying. A branch of apple blossoms soaks up the sun. The red pink buds unfurl to palest pink white. I have a beautiful frame in this unusual size sitting in the studio, and have been trying to think of a painting to put into it. I might update with an in-frame photo, but I’ll give this branch a few days to dry first.
Click on the painting to view it in my etsy shop.
Deb Anderson, painting 