"Red Star"

 

We have this poinsettia in our front hall, so our cat can't get to it. I walk past it several times a day and I finally said to myself, this would make a cool painting. So here it is. Only problem is, it's really difficult to render properly in a photograph. Even though I'm a photographer and am well versed in PhotoShop, I'm still disappointed in how the end result looks. It's much more impressive in person, if I don't say so myself. 

"Birch! Birch! Birch"

Another angle of the birch trees. This time, without my shadow in it. I don't know what it is about birch trees, but I find them endlessly fascinating. They have such character, no two of them took alike. 

 

"Merry Memories"

 

I hadn't done a still life in a while and an artist friend on InstaGram inspired me to do a Christmas-themed painting. I dug through one of the many boxes of Christmas stuff we've collected over the years and found a couple gems my daughters made. Then I added a couple ornaments to fill the scene out and there you have it. Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) everyone! 

"Shadowfax"

 

I love hiking around after a fresh snowfall. I found this gathering of birch trees at a local park. I got there before all the snow was trampled on, however, you can see the trail of a cross-country skier in the distance. The sun kept going behind the clouds, so I waited patiently for it to come out to grab this pic. 

"Dolly & Reba"

 

A friend of mine asked me if I'd do a painting of his daughter's cats, from a photo he'd taken. I reluctantly said yes, since I don't have a lot of experience painting animals. And as it turned out one of the cats was black, making it even more challenging. I originally tried mixing a couple colors to create the black, but it ended up being too purple. so I opted for a mixture of Carbon Black and Cobalt Blue. Then I mixed in a bit of white for the highlights. Does it work? You be the judge. 

"Whiter Shade of Pale"

 

Discovered this attractive barn while on a morning hike in Amish country a couple months ago. I love the way the backside has a hole in it, allowing you to see other outbuildings on the farm. Beautiful part of the country, that's for sure 

"Raspberries"

 

One more in the series of Veg-A-Sketches. This one is pretty minimalist, I have to admit. But I think they look pretty tasty!

"Gnarly, Man"

 

I've walked around this park countless times and yet, never really noticed this twisted old guy until the other day. That's one of the beauties of nature. It's just full of surprises. I decided to paint it in a looser style, instead of painting every last detail of he bark. It looks better in real life, mainly in the highlights, which look more like snow in the photo.

"Squash Oddity"

 

Can't think of a better way to spend a gloomy Sunday afternoon than painting. This is what I came up with. My wife though they squash looked amusing the way they were placed in the bowl, and I have to concur. Here's what came of it. 

"Blue Oyster Mushroom"

 

At least that's what I think it is. Or it could be a white Oyster Mushroom. Neither one looks like they have much in the way of color. his one was a bit more challenging to paint than my usual Veg-A-Skitches. But I think it turned out okay. 

"Surrender the Pink. And White"

 

Everyone who got the reference to the title, raise your hand. Yeah,I didn't think so. It's the title of   Carrie Fisher's autobiography, which, if you haven't read it is a marvelous book. Anyway, I found these two flowers this suer at Stony Creek North. It was late summer/early fall and I was surprised that they were just about the only flowers in bloom. It's interesting just how little color there is in certain seasons and terrain. Winter, I get it. But in September? Oh well. Take what you can get!

"Whilst Waiting for Lizzie"

 

In these pandemic times, you can't actually go into the vet's office. So I had to sit out in the parking lot waiting for our cat "Lizzie" to be brought out to me. Sitting there, I noticed this interesting scene before me. Proving once again you just never know where you'll find a painting! 

"Shiitakes"

 

A sampling of the mushrooms purchased from "The Mushroom Guy" at Eastern Market. I bought a mixed bag of them, so look for a series of Veg-A-Sketches of them on the horizon. 

"Marshen Landscape"

 

Hiked for the first time in ages at Metro Beach. The sky was so dramatic I just had t paint it. I found this big ol' tree in the marsh and the dead foliage just added to the beauty of the scene.

"Shiitakes"

Bought a mixed bag of mushrooms from the Mushroom Guy at Eastern Market. This is the first in  series of paintings of them done in the Veg-A-Sketch style. 

 

"Packard Plant-South Building"

 

In spite of the fact that the last car rolled off the assembly line in 1959, a vast majority of the sprawling Packard Plant is still around. It's located in a largely abandoned, desolate part of Detroit. Every few years, it makes the news when someone reveals plans for the historic site. But they are mostly just that. Plans. I've taken a bunch of photos of the plant and plan on doing several more paintings of it. These days, it's mainly a patchwork of boarded up windows and entranceways, and huge gaping holes in the once-proud structure. 

"Heirloom Carrots"

 

A recent purchase from Eastern Market in Detroit. It never fails to astound my just how many varieties of fruits and vegetables exist in this world. We've been so sheltered in our quest to standardize everything. And it's a testament to our monocultural crops. 

"Orchid Gold"

 

Just one of the many incredible orchids at Longwood Gardens.