Apricots and pitcher

At long last.... I finally have started painting again.  I have really missed painting, and especially my class. We have about six women in the class, which meets weekly in Boerne, TX.  They are all so supportive of each other, and I enjoy the laughter and fun we have together.

I went to my class yesterday and finished this painting I started almost two months ago.   My reference was a David Leffel painting from Oil Painting Secrets from a Master.   My favorite part was trying to figure out how he made his background.  I'm not sure what he did, but I eventually used a palette knife to get the texture.

I should know better than to varnish the painting before trying to photograph it!  There's quite a glare, and the colors aren't really true.  However, this was the best photo I could get.

11 inch X 14 inch oil on stretched canvas  (Click on the painting to enlarge.)

Color of White Challenge

Today is the first day in several weeks that I have felt well enough to paint.  I decided to try the challenge on the Daily Paintworks website called the Color of White Challenge.  The idea was to paint a white object on a patterned fabric.  Only white and primary and secondary colors could be used.  No black, brown, burnt sienna, burnt umber, etc.   A reference photo was provided, or you could use your own set up.  I decided to use the reference photo.

My biggest challenge in this was trying to paint the fabric!  I've never painted a patterned background before.  It was trial and error.  I couldn't figure out if I should put in a color first, or the white background first.  I started in one corner, and finally liked the results better when I put down a light background and then painted the pattern on that.  I also wanted to keep this to about an hour, but that was too optimistic!

I'm not lovin' it.  But hey, I painted!

8 inch by 8 inch oil on canvas panel

Apple study

For this study, I was trying to do something that is foreign to my soul---mix each stroke separately.  So hard for me to do.  I usually blend on the painting. I actually cheated a little on this, but not on purpose.  I'd just catch myself blending a stroke into paint already on the canvas.  Habits are hard to break.

To all those blogging comrades who came by and offered kind wishes during my husband's recuperation from heart surgery, I want to extend my heartfelt thank you!  All those thoughtful notes meant a lot.  Both of us contracted some wretched virus after he'd been home about two weeks, so we were both in bed with chills and fever, feeling very weak and sickly!  I was reading and cruising your blogs, but not feeling up to commenting much.

We are both much improved now.  He has been checked out by his doctors and cleared to drive again!  So first thing this morning, he took his car to fill it up and get it washed.  We are ready for the weekend!

Hope you all have a great weekend.  I am so looking forward to getting in some painting time.

8 inch by 8 inch oil on canvas panel