Final (sort of) nectarines in a bowl

I worked on this yesterday - really improved the shadows and made the background more violet (not sure if I like that but its hard to tell in this photo because of the glare0. The background is much darker on the right side, but the glare that screwed up the photo.

I wish I had done this on canvas rather than paper.

Things to fix: the pointy nectarine shadow. Also, I was going for a "glowy" thing with the nectarines that are in the light because the light was so bright, not sure if I pulled it off.

Is it distracting?

So what's with all the fruit?

I've done a few nectarines and still haven't moved to canvas. This is on canvas paper and I'm still working on it. My friend asked me "So what's with all the fruit?". Good question. No real reason accept that it's easy to get, comes in all colors and shapes, and I can easily set up different arrangements. You'd be amazed at how long fruit will last in my little studio refrigerator while I work out a painting. I wouldn't try eating it though.

The fruit is just a tool to help me learn about color, tonal ranges and... well ... how to paint.

I'm in a battle once again with the shadows. The shadow area of the bowl is not right - at the last minute I changed it completely and used a violet made up of alizarin crimson and cerulean blue. It doesn't relate at all with the shadow cast on the table cloth, or really with the bowl, but I'm getting closer.

I'm using Kevin MacPherson's book "Fill your Oil Painting with Color and Light" (it is open on a table next to my easel as I paint) but I'm failing miserably at his suggestion that I put a brush stroke down and leave it. Maybe after another twenty paintings I'll get closer.

More work to do on this: the bowl, background and shadows need work.

Nectarine or Apple?

Here's the latest.I like where I'm going with the fabric - the best part is on the left where it drapes down and sort of fades. Love that. I'm struggling with the nectarine because it looks like an apple to me. But I had a revelation in one of my many endless work meetings while I was doodling.

Nectarines aren't perfectly round. If you look at this nectarine you can see the seam and the uneven outline that the seam causes for the fruit. What came to me today while doodling was that there should be a corresponding seam below the stem which should cause the fruit shape to be uneven. So I'll go back tomorrow and work on that.

The strange lighter streaks in the upper right background is actually a reflection off the wet paint.

My new cozy, warm and wonderful studio space

I moved into the new studio this weekend and I love it. I was so nervous that it would be too small and that nothing would fit, but I like it better than the old one. (Studio is in the Western Avenue Studio building in Lowell.)

I took some photos of my new spot. The last two are photos taken to the left and right of my door and gives you an idea of how many studios are on the floor. There are 4 floors of studios - a couple hundred artists from all areas of art - painters, fabric artists, graphic designers, photographers, sculptors, potters, jewelry designers and more. So if you are around Boston/Lowell it is worth the trip. A great way to spend a Saturday (first Saturday of each month is open studios.) I am going to finally get up the courage to open for the September Open Studio weekend - woo hoo.

You can click on the photos to see a larger image.


The view:

Strangely enough I like this view better than my old one, although the old one looked over the canal. I couldn't really see the canal unless I stood up and looked down. This view has distance, and spires, and the whole urban thing going and I can sit in a chair, relax and look out.




And here's the hall: