"Kitchen Ledge" oil 11 x 14 Evolution of a painting

"Kitchen Ledge"  11 x 14  oil 

Several years ago, I spent a week in a lovely old Victorian house in South Bristol, Maine with several of my artist friends.  I love the feel of the house, well worn, with a variety of comfy chairs, a wrap-around porch, plethora of cups, plates, and glasses, old linoleum and bathroom tiles from the 1960s.  I painted this still life on the window ledge, looking out into the yard.  The painting in the middle is my first go at it, and I was pleased with the backlit lemons, and the interior vignette against the outside.  When I brought it home from Maine, I made some alterations, adding another porch column and a railing.  I described the specifics of the changes in a blog post you can read about here.  

The house had a pencil sharpener on its door frame, which I liked, probably because we had one attached to the door frame in our kitchen growing up.  But, it never added anything to the painting, and was somewhat incongruous, and confusing. So, I excised the sharpener.  I like the painting much better now.  My painting group, Girls Just Wanna Paint, each interpreted the Golden Mean last month.  "Kitchen Ledge" is a good example of the Golden Mean, or Golden Section, in action.  

Thanks for looking.

"Cut River" watercolor/ink/pencil 9 x 12

Here's the "Cut River" completed. I used my block in (see left) which showed the light and shadow pattern as a guide.  The small yellow house, darkest to the left, became the lightest in the finished painting.  I'm going to show to my art students as a jumping off point about how important value is.  
Thanks for looking.

"Waiting for the Weekend" watercolor & ink 9 x 6

Today's sketch is a study from an oil of mine; an interior from a house in Maine where I have stayed with artist friends along the coast of Maine... great house, updated last in about 1975.  You know the look, the formica, the tile floor, and the variety of arm chairs into which you sink about 4 inches farther than expected.  The house has a big cellar with stone foundation, and Maxwell House coffee cans filled with nuts, bolts, screws, and nails.  There are lots of coffee cups, with accompanying saucers in the cupboard, and a cornucopia of mismatched glasses and plates. I love every quirky inch of its wallboard, and oddly arranged lighting.  And, I loved the room off the kitchen with life jackets, old chipped croquet set, badmitten nets, and citronella buckets.  Takes me right back to our house on Cape Cod as a kid, with the same jumble of equipment waiting for a family to drag it all out into the sun, and salt water.

Thanks so much for looking, and reminiscing with me.

"Where the Heart Is" watercolor and ink 5 x 7

The Spanish department at our school coordinates voluntary gift-giving program within the faculty.  We each choose a name for whom we are their secret angelito, give 4 or 5 small thoughtful gifts during December, and a larger gift to be unwrapped the day before our vacation begins.  I was thrilled to pick the name of a friend of mine on the faculty.  I had been to her family's lake cottage a couple of years back and decided to do a small watercolor of the cottage as her bigger gift. Gift-giving success! She loved it.  
As I told my friend, I don't always remember the gifts I have received over the years, but I remember the ones I have given well. 
Joyful Christmas and joyful holidays to all.    

Thanks for looking.