Still Life in Cobra Oils

Still Life in Cobra Oils 8x8

It has been a while since my last post.  Some health hiccups have gotten in the way and slowed me down somewhat.  Although I have been painting, I've not been at my easel as regularly as I'd have liked. Happily, my larger gallery paintings have been doing well, but my smaller "daily" paintings have been few and far between.



This 8x8 still life on gessoboard is one of the first I have painted with Royal Talens Cobra brand water-miscible oils. These rich buttery oils are a great alternative for painters who, like me, want to avoid solvents. In the past, I had  tried other w-m paints and found their consistency imperfect.  Often rather dry and stiff, they required medium to increase the flow.  The Cobra paints, however, very closely resemble conventional oils right from the tube.  I still love my acrylics, but it's so nice to have a slower-drying option.

The subject is one I have painted several times, in both oil and acrylic paint.  All previous incarnations have been sold, however, and I wanted one for myself -- this is the result.

Warm Shoulders SOLD

Warm Shoulders 8x8 w-m oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

Enjoying the sunshine while keeping cool at water's edge...sublime!

Wild Strawberries

Wild Strawberries 8 x 8 acrylic on gessoboard AVAILABLE

This is my young neighbor, who is a delight to paint, but too shy to pose for me. Means I have to catch her unawares, such as when she's picking the wild strawberries that grow all over my backyard in the summer. They're the tiniest berries, but they're perfect miniatures of their farm-grown counterparts.

Sunshine on a Plate

Sunshine on a Plate 8 x 8 acrylic on gessoboard AVAILABLE

Citrus sections on a turquoise plate makes a great color combo. Add sunshine and the shadows are luscious. Just looking at it makes me feel bright and happy.

Too Big for the Bowl

Too Big for the Bowl 8 x 8 acrylic on gallery wrap canvas  SOLD

Just the fragrance of strawberries conjures up summertime for me, and they are abundant here right now. This 8"x8" acrylic is painted on 1.5 inch deep gallery wrap canvas, so it can be displayed unframed. Here are a couple of progress shots...

The Sentinel...revisited

The Sentinel 8 x 8 oil on gessoboard  SOLD

Happy summer everyone! I've been tied up with some portrait commissions (lucky me!) but thought I'd give this little painting a second moment in the limelight. It has previously gotten quite a few views, so perhaps it might find some new fans. Hope to be back at a DPW "routine" soon.

Celebrating Oranges

Celebrating Oranges 8 x 8 acrylic on gallery wrap canvas AVAILABLE

This was a good exercise in tonal changes. I'm trying to become more adept at capturing the unique texture of an orange peel.

The Braid

The Braid 8 x 8 oil on gessoboard

This is a quick portrait sketch in oil done in a two-hour session -- good exercise! 

Soup Starters

Soup Starters 8 x 8 oil on gessoboard

Leeks and tomatoes are a grand start for a tasty autumn soup. I think they make a great pairing for a painting, too. Even those juicy colors makes my mouth water.

The Sentinel

The Sentinel 8 x 8 oil on gessoboard

Crows often drop by for a drink in our backyard and I love to see them. They're such stunning-looking creatures. Even if they kind of dwarf the birdbath, they still manage to look so majestic.

Autumn

Autumn 8 x 8 acrylic on gessoboard  SOLD

She looks as if Autumn could be her name, at least that's what the colors suggested to me. A few days to go until it's officially fall, but a few leaves here are already changing.

Chippie

Chippie 8 x 8 oil on gessoboard  SOLD

These little guys are irresistible as far as I'm concerned. Gregarious, curious, and quick to recognize the source of a likely snack, they are one of summertime's joys. Whether I'm reading in a deck chair, tending my planters, or pulling weeds, I can count on a chippie popping up to join me. (Of course, my husband and I do encourage this by always having peanuts at the ready.)

Why Not A Dandelion Bouquet?

Why Not A Dandelion Bouquet?  8 x 8 acrylic on gessoboard  SOLD

Another painting featuring my young neighbor, who thinks dandelions are fine candidates for a bouquet. Frankly, I find their jaunty yellow heads kind of cheerful in the spring -- I like to think of them as merely a VERY hardy perennial. 

As always, due to the variation in viewing screen settings, actual colors may differ slightly.

All Ears

All Ears  8 x 8 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

I came across this photo of a fawn on MorqueFile and couldn't resist painting it -- those eyes, those ears, that little spotted bottom!  This is an 8" x 8" oil painting on gallery wrap canvas that is 1.5" deep.  It's also painted around the sides so it can be displayed with or without a frame.

As always, due to the variation in viewing screen settings, actual colors may differ slightly.

Wild Strawberries

Wild Strawberries  8 x 8 acrylic on gessoboard

It's snowing here, so a memory of summertime seems welcome.  This is my young neighbor, who is a delight to paint, but too shy to pose for me.  Means I have to catch her unawares, such as when she's picking the wild strawberries that grow all over my backyard in the summer.  They're the tiniest berries, but they're perfect miniatures of their farm-grown counterparts.

As always, due to the variation in viewing screen settings, actual colors may differ slightly.

Crisp & Juicy

Crisp and Juicy 8 x 8 acrylic on gessoboard  SOLD

Yesterday I became a member of the Daily Paintworks online gallery of artists.  It not only offers me a great way to showcase my paintings to a whole new audience, but also links me to a community of wonderfully diverse and accomplished artists. It's a site that I've been monitoring and enjoying for many months.  I've made use of some of the mini-tutorials called "artbytes," and followed the blogs of some of the artists whose paintings delight and inspire me.  Finally, I've taken the leap and joined.

Crisp & Juicy is my second entry.  It's 8 x 8 acrylic on gessobord and is for sale on Daily Paintworks.

As always, due to the variation in viewing screen settings, actual colors may differ slightly.