Mom's Favorite Painting

This is my Mom's favorite painting

 I have painted to date!

Up Past Midnight- Oil on Canvas

I am not always sure what will end up on the canvas...

A little secret.... 

this one started out as cherries!

Kathy's Rooster x Two

This is my friend, Kathy's rooster!

I wish for the life of me I could

remember his name!

Anyway... My brain is showing my age!

A mutual friend was over visiting Kathy and took

a few photos and videos of her small coop.

I was so inspired I decided to try my hand

at painting her rooster!

Kathy's Rooster Take One- Oil on Canvas

My first attempt was an oil on canvas. 

The tone of this painting is soft and subtle.

I painted him during class and I liked

many things about this painting but

the artist in me is always

calling for a mulligan!

So I went home and painted a second painting!

Kathy's Rooster Take Two- Oil on Gesso Board

This second painting is smaller than the first one.

I also used Gesso Board for the first time.

Gesso Board is very smooth and it took 

some getting used to how the paint "slid" on the

smooth surface.

This painting ended up overall brighter than the first one!

I enjoyed the process of both paintings, but if I had to

choose a favorite I think it would be the Take Two!

Sandwich, Sandwich

I have enjoyed getting to practice so many skills

while learning to become a better painter.

For instance:

How can I make an object "read" as shiny?

See how the jelly and the ends of the knife are shiny?

In order to create this "illusion" on canvas with paint

you have to make everything surrounding the highlighted

area darker!

Afternoon Snack- Oil on Canvas

This is my attempt of painting the

photo above.  I keep debating

if I want to go back in and add a few highlights

to the jelly on the sandwich, but half

of me likes the way it looks

like the jelly and peanut butter have smeared

together.  Anyone remember Smucker's Goober?

 I also took creative license

with the photo and removed the glass of milk.

Last week I tried another sandwich!

My husband's BLT!

Wayne's BLT- Oil on Gesso Board

Not only was I trying to create the illusion

of shiny, I was also trying to keep my brush strokes

loose and "painterly"!

Here I decided to removed the deep shadow

from the other half of the sandwich 

in the upper left hand corner, instead opting

to fade out that corner with a highlight.

It is neat just how many decisions 

a painting can take before you complete it!

And as always....

So many things to paint... so little time!