Green Heirloom Tomato by Jonathan Aller

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"Green Heirloom Tomato"

5 x 7 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I have not painted these little gems in a while. The color of this heirloom caught my eye right away. They have such intense pure colors. What I enjoy most is the subtle values between the colors from one area to the other, painting that is challenging and rewarding once it's achieved. Painting light wrapping around this form is challenging but very educational to try. After painting this tomato my wife added it to our dinner which was as delicious as it looked. 

I started with the drawing stage by just using a bit of raw umber on the brush. Thinking of it as one would draw with a pencil. The pressure you apply to the brush it effects the value and intensity your marking will be. Once the drawing stage is complete I add local colors to the whole painting. This allows me to see how the painting will look in the completed stage with the colors I am thinking of. The next stage I then start to fill in the middle to darker values to all the objects in the painting, from the wooden board to the heirloom tomato. Then I add the lighter value forms to tie everything together. With this technique, especially being in alla prima, one has to has to be careful with the amount of paint being applied from the initial stages. Remember fat over lean, you want to start thin and get progressively thicker towards the finishing. I am also conscious of how many pressure I apply to the brush, as stated before I think of it as drawing with a pen or pencil. The lighter the pressure the lighter the value will be, the harder the value the darker the value will be. This also allows you to control smoother transitions. 

Thank you for stopping by and viewing. Cheers!

"Daisies On The Deck" original floral daisy painitng by Deb Kirkeeide

Daisies On The Deck

5x7 Oil

©Deb Kirkeeide

$165 Framed Purchase Here

I just love daisies and I recently planted some containers with them on my deck.  I couldn't resist making a couple studies of them recently. It's easy to get some plein air painting in after work when all you have to do is step out the door!

Please visit my website or blog for more paintings.

"The Elephant Watches" by Terry Honstead

This 18 x 22 watercolor on 300 lb paper was done in layers using masking and then painting the entire sheet with a watercolor wash and then repeating the process until the very darkest layer is finally done.    When I took of the masking that kept the layers from getting darker, it did pull of some of the color so I did have a lot of painting to do when I thought I would be done.  I also had to lighten the background areas because they were still too dark!  Anyway, I learned a lot and may try this technique again.  Interested parties can see more at my website terry-honstead.artistwebsites.com or email me at

honstead@paulbunyan.net

"Summer Greenery" by Terry Honstead

This 16 x 20 is done with mixed media on a cradle board.  I have been trying to get a feeling with just a small range of colors.  Each one is done a little differently.  It can be viewed at terry-honstead.artistwebsites.com or email me at honstead@paulbunyan.net

Red Bird by Terry Honstead

This 12 x 12 in. Mixed Media painting is for sale (along with others) at http://www.cfai.co/ ,or you may contact me at: honstead@paulbunyan.net.  Red Bird is all about color and texture and was a lot of fun to paint.

After the Rains

After the Rains
Landscape

15 x 30 Oil

 This is a larger version of a plein air study I did earlier this summer. Always a challenge for me, painting on such a large scale. I've been working on this all summer, adding, subtracting, changing approaches - more or less experimenting and ending up painting it all with a knife. It's not quite the vision I had in my head - but it feels very peaceful to me in all it's muted tones. I remember that day out painting plein air with Outdoor Painters of Minnesota (OPM). Early morning, after a night of rain, the air heavy with moisture and the good company of fellow painters.

And speaking of OPM....for all of you local people looking for an art filled evening, we are having our opening reception on Saturday the 12th at The Frameworks Gallery in St Paul. Hope to see you there!