"Carrots"

One more in the Veg-A-Sketch series. Not sure howe many more I'm going to do. Might be time to move on. 

"Geranimo"

I just loved the way this single Geranium flower cast a distinctive shadow on the sidewalk. It was midday on our back porch. I like the composition as well. 

"Diana-F"

I had no idea there was a camera called the Diana. It's amazing to me just how many camera companies there were in the U.S. My wife's name is Diana, so I had to buy one of these. I've been looking for some new backgrounds and decided to search my closet. Viola! I have a bunch of Hawaiian shirts that'll do the trick. Here's the first one featuring one of them--look for more to come! 

"A Wood's Hole"

While walking in a local park, I found this unusual hole in an old tree trunk. But when I painted it, I decided to use a looser approach which seemed to give it an almost abstract appearance. I could have spent hours including eery tiny haircrack in the painting but I think this approach worked even better. Plus, I'll admit, I can be pretty lazy at times. 

"Radishes"

I was a bit surprised by the intensity of the red of these radishes. Not sure if this quickie painting does them justice. With the contrasting green, it looks sort of Christmasy. And it's only July! What am I thinking!?!?I'm probably going to end up with a dozen of these Veg-A-Sketches. Then it's time to move on. Maybe they'd make decent note cards. Or small prints suitable for a kitchen? 

"Suitcase Bear"

This could also be titled "Memories of childhood". My Dzjadzi (Polis Grandpa) made this suitcase for me when I was born. He was handy with his hands and loved working in wood. The teddy bear was given to me by my Godmother, Aunt Mary Jane. I've somehow managed to keep both of these through the years. They may be a little worn out, but they've survived somehow. 

"Acorn Squash"

I visited our local grocery story recently on a mission to buy some fruits and vegetables to paint. I noticed this almost surrealistically-colored acorn squash. Perfect! Now that I've painted it. it looks almost fake. But this is truly what it looked like. I did the painting from a photo, hence the half on the right is slightly bigger--it was closer to the lens. If I had painted it plain aire, so to speak, I might have made them the same size. 

"Daggett Farmhouse"

I noticed this attractive scene on a recent visit to Greenfield Village. The contrast between the orange door and the gray farmhouse was striking. Knowing how the Village adheres to historical accuracy, I'm sure it was close to the original color combination. And I think it makes an interesting painting. 

"Green Onions"

Another Veg-A-Sketch painting. I really like doing these. I take about ten minutes to really study the subject before doing anything. Then I pick my palette--I try to limit the colors I use. Then I quickly paint. Sometimes I do a little shading before I paint the main subject. Then I darken the shadow closest to the object. 

"It's Pop!"

I thought I'd do another before & after painting. Here are a couple bottles of pop, (that's what it is in Michigan, folks) and the ingredients that go into them. Along with countless chemicals and dyes, I'm sure. I like the simplicity of the background, I think it helps draw your eye to the things that are important in the painting. Now, what do I follow it up with? I have a few ideas brewing, but I'm always open to suggestions.