Two Tulips Up for Auction

I have two tulips paintings up for auction this week.  It's the start of the busy season and the search is on for gift giving.  Perpetually blooming flowers in the form of a painting are a good way to start.

The auction (or buy it now feature) are at the Daily Painters website as follows:

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/449871 for the pink tulips and

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/450107 for the red tulips

Cardinal Collage

I enjoy making textured and painted papers but don't seem to use them enough.  Having started this

bird series is the first time I am really using them in a way that justifies making more.  So all is good.

These are done on a card stock weight of paper but I'm thinking I may use the wood panels that I use

for the small daily paintings because the grain of the wood might be nice to use too.  I can see myself

adapting this newfound interest to the use of fabrics.  Something I've admired in art quilters but didn't think I'd get around to trying.  

Computer monitors vary quite a bit but for some reason the background green is more saturated than

my scan.  It's only when I bring it into this blog that is becomes a little too strong for my liking otherwise the original and the prints I'm making from it are a much nicer earthier green.

The original measures 8" x 10"

Deck the Halls....

Well I thought I'd challenge myself to painting something other than silver that was highly reflective.

Not as challenging as I thought.  It was the colour red that proved to be the challenge, especially since it takes longer to dry.  And this was supposed to be a "daily small format" that actually needed 3 days to complete.   Since the pigments tend to be somewhat transparent, it can be difficult to get the range of values figured out.  But sometimes overthinking it is the real problem.  

This year's ornaments are out and I will set up some more subject matter like this.

RED SHALLOTS

RED SHALLOTS

And this is the final image.  I am in danger of over working my small format paintings.  Lately I've been going back to them a day or two or three later.

Which defeats the purpose.  Start strong, stay strong and walk away!  I do like this one though.

Seeing Red

6 x 6 inches

Oil on Wood Panel

Love the vibrancy of red tulips.   It's been a long winter and we're probably a good two weeks behind schedule with patches of snow still lingering.  How lucky are we artists to be able to immerse ourselves in color on even the dreariest of days.  

The part I like best about this painting is the lower left corner (funny enough)

simply because in the pursuit of training myself to loosen up, I return to bad habits so easily like puttering with small brushes.  The very qualities I admire in other paintings are the loose, energetic brush strokes.  Simply changing to a much larger brush gave me that energy I was looking for.