Still Life Workshop - Jug and Beets 6x8

On Saturday the 26th I attended a workshop from great friend and amazing artist Eric Jacobsen. Eric's expressive still life's are off the chart incredible and while most people fall in love with his art, they may not know exactly why for his paintings require a sophisticated eye to realize just how stunning they truly are. If you are looking for an investment piece to add to your collection or are looking to begin one, i highly recommend a Jacobsen. You won't be sorry you did so and i guarantee at some point his work will end up in prominent museums. Check out his website http://www.jacobsenstudio.com/ I always pick up little nuggets from Eric that propel my work to another level and this workshop did not disappoint. The big thing for me, which may seem pretty basic to most, was how to mix paints by way of a brush instead of mixing lots of little piles with a painting knife. It was a freeing experience that allowed me more spontaneous color shifts rather than mentally locking myself into the colors i had worked so hard to pre-mix. I decided to show you not only the painting i came up with, but also the subject i was viewing to give you another perspective of my work. The matte colored beets coupled with the ceramic jug i felt were a lovely composition with interesting colors and i had a ball working on it. Thank you Eric for your energy, humor, vast knowledge and undying love of great art.

French Country Breakfast

French Country Breakfast 11 x 14 Recently a friend of mine, Jeff, gave me a dozen brown eggs from his family's chickens. While they were a special gift, the artist in me wondered what i could do with them in a still life setting. Using decor from our kitchen as complimentary subjects, the brown eggs fit right in and made themselves at home. Thank you Jeff, for the wonderful gesture, your kindness is much appreciated. I think it's time to go make an omelette, bon appetit!

Study in Orange and Blue

Mandarin Blue 14 x 20 Following with my tangerine theme i decided to up the ante a bit and design a layout with some of Vicki's wonderful Oriental items. With an over-riding Asian theme, i wanted to focus on a study in orange and blue which are nice complementary colors to each other. I also wanted to work on brush strokes in keeping to a loose airy feeling giving the painting atmosphere. Still life's are a great way to work on color, tone and form in a controlled environment, taking as much time as you like. Plus you get to choose the subject and compose it in such a way that helps to convey the story you are telling.

Still Life - Study in Orange

Tangerine 6x8 It has been a while since my last posting, but my schedule has loosened up and i am painting as much as i did last summer, which i am excited about. For Christmas, Vicki got me a box of tangerines and i have enjoyed studying their vibrant orange color in a number of compositions. This one i painted Saturday morning with the idea of producing a series of individual fruit still lifes. So stay tuned for more consistent postings and more fun fruit. Thanks for checking it out and by the way, it's no typo, i just like little i's.