(124) Yellow Delicious
6 x 8, oil
In my opinion, Kevin Macpherson is one of those rare artists who not only paints exceedingly well, but also teaches with equal skill and excellence. I have found that one of his more helpful suggestions is to observe the object or scene and identify the contrasts: that is, ask yourself what are the sharpest/softest edges, highest chroma/most neutral colors, darkest dark/lightest lights? Once you have identified those, it is easier to organize everything else accordingly because all else must fall within those two extremes. With the apples above, the contrasts are quite subtle, which can be even more of a challenge than extreme contrasts, so I am especially grateful to discover a way to simplify the process.
"Making the simple complex is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity"...Charles Mingus

(123) A Pairing of Pears
6 x 8, oil
private collection
"A seed doesn't struggle to become a tree--it simply unfolds in grace"...Deepak Chopra

(122) Tomato, Tamahta
6 x 6, oil
"The only virtue to painting is to put down an idea about what you feel at the moment"...Andrew Wyeth

(121) Radical Radishes
6 x 6. oil
"When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss art. When artists gets together for dinner, they discuss money"...Oscar Wilde
(I adore Mr. Wilde's wit and wisdom. Wouldn't he have been the ultimate dinner guest?)

(120) Emeril's "Gahlic"
6 x 6, oil
At first glance, garlic appears to be off-white or ivory in color. But once you start painting, you begin to see all sorts of beautiful bounced colors. Then, "white" takes on a new meaning for you, and you never see it the same way again.
"Impressionism is the newspaper of the soul"...Henri Matisse

(119) Three's Company
6 x 8, oil
"A common defect of modern art study is that too many students do not know why they draw"...Robert Henri

(118) Sunday
6 x 6, oil
So how do you paint melting ice cream? Gee I don't know, but let's add a little chocolate syrup and make it abstract...
“There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same...Only LOVE"
...Johnny Depp (from Don Juan DeMarco)
Here's a little trivia for you: Both Johnny Depp and George Clooney are nominated for best actor Oscars at tomorrow's Academy Awards, and both are from KENTUCKY! (and you thought we were only known for our beautiful horses, right?)

(117) Triple Chocolate Fudge
private collection
6 x 6, oil
"I'm just the flavor of the month"...George Clooney

(116) Make Mine Scrambled
private collection
6 x 6, oil
I was enthralled by how the ripples of light bounced into the egg whites and on through the clear glass onto the tabletop--sort of like a play-within-a-play.
"What we need is more sense of the wonder of life, and less of the business of making a picture"...Robert Henri

(115) Yellow
private collection
6 x 6. oil
"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun"...Picasso

(114) Pebbles
5 x 7, oil
I love how Nate Berkus incorporates natural elements into his designs. He suggests putting a personal stamp on decorating by displaying organic materials you have collected from nature or travel. I think we can all relate to finding the perfect shell at the ocean, knowing it will bring back memories of the vacation every time we pick it up, or see it on a shelf. Thinking about this today, I realized that pebbles would be a good study in plane changes. I picked these up in Nice, near the home of Henri Matisse. They are my good chi--I love the colors, smooth edges, and striations in the stones, and when I look at them, I envision Matisse walking along the same shoreline, picking up a few pebbles himself.
"An artist must possess Nature. He must identify himself with her rhythm, by efforts that will prepare the mastery which will later enable him to express himself in his own language"...Henri Matisse

(113) Pop's Airplane
private collection
8 x 10, oil
This is one of the wooden toys my dad made. I love the different kinds of wood he used that give it a rich color variety.
"Men of genius sometimes accomplish most when they work the least, for they are thinking out inventions and forming in their minds the perfect idea that they subsequently express with their hands"...Leonardo da Vinci

(112) Red Truck, take three
6 x 6, oil
I am still struggling with the drawing, but it is a magnificent subject for studying foreshortening.
"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character"...Camille Pissarro

(111) Red Truck, take two
private collection
8 x 10, oil
I wanted to try a different view, different light. I really enjoy this subject.
"The centipede has rhythm and flow in its hundred legs precisely because it does not have to think about it. Consider this the next time you move the instrument of your art"...Robert Genn

P.S...I want to pass along a new discovery to all my painting friends out there. It is called "gloves in a bottle" --a moisturizing barrier lotion for your hands; it does an exceptional job preventing dry skin--better than wearing gloves--woohoo!

(110) Chevy Truck
6 x 6, oil
"Creativity is allowing oneself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep"...Allen Lacy

(109) In the Big Chair with Daddy
private collection
8 x 10, oil
"A toddling little girl is a center of common feeling which makes the most dissimilar people understand each other"...George Elliot

(108) Beach Baby
8 x 10, oil
private collection
I decided to step out of the box today, break my own rule, and paint something from a photo instead of from life. So today's challenge is painting a gray day, something that I really struggle with because the values are so close.
“To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me”... Isaac Newton

(107) Cotton Candy
8 x 10, oil
private collection
Today's challenge: Plaid taffeta...confectionary fun.
"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others;
for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness;
and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone"...Audry Hepburn

(106) Pirouette
8 x 16, oil
A peach gelato for your Friday.
"Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you are exactly the same"...Audrey Hepburn

(105) Toddle
Pink--preppy--silk, with a hint of sweet confection. Just the basics for spring.
"Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed"...Elle from "Legally Blonde"

(104) Feather Boa
8 x 16, oil
"Fashion anticipates, and elegance is a state of mind...a mirror of the time in which we live, a translation of the future, and should never be static"...Oleg Cassini

(103) Swish and Swirl
8 x 16, oil
Here's a little tulle for a Tuesday. You just can't wear it without smiling. (and swirling)
“A woman's dress should be like a barbed- wire fence: serving its purpose without obstructing the view”...Sophia Loren

(102) Peony Dance
8 x 16, oil
private collection
Although the dress was painted from life, I added the peony hanger from imagination--they just seemed to go together. A new fabric to check off my list: chiffon.
"All gardeners need to know when to accept something wonderful and unexpected, taking no credit except for letting it be"...Allen Lacy

(101) Swirl
"I see myself as a true modernist. Even when I do a traditional gown, I give it a modern twist. I go to the past for research. I need to know what came before so I can break the rules"...Vera Wang

(100) Juliet
8 x 16, oil
So what is the opposite of yesterday's light, wispy fabric? Well, how about a thick, lush velvet?
"I think I have something tonight that's not quite correct for evening wear--blue suede shoes"...Elvis Presley (today is Lisa Marie's 40th birthday)