Riesen

sketchbook

Happy Halloween! Nummy candy... even though it has a tendency to get stuck on my tounge ring :-/ Ive had to ban dark chocolate from my life because Baby has no tolerance for caffeine, so candy has become a favorite thing around here :)

#670

Lilies

8x8 acrylic on cradled hardboard panel

click here to visit my etsy shop

Going back to summertime, here. What can I say? I love summer, and I miss it... and Im not getting out and taking an awful lot of reference pictures this fall, what with Baby and everything. It seems she takes after her Mama and is a homebody :) But Im glad I did this one- the black background really makes the flowers pop, all delicate lines and variable color.

#669

Blue Feather

5x7 acrylic on panel

No time to chat, it sounds like the baby is waking up a little earlier than expected.... anyways, had fun with the super-warm browns contrasting with the pretty blues, and I think its a blue jay feather, but Im a little fuzzy there. I am certain, however, that the feather is blue- heance the title :)

#668

Palest Pink

5x7 acrylic on panel

Took advantage of the main nap today to get a daily painting done, and it feels great to be back at the easel! Pretty sure our baby girl had some influence on the subject matter.... and I love how it turned out :) Ive got this tiny little brush for detail work, and I used it here for some, hm, cross hatching and some directional strokes that really add to the feeling of the whole piece, somehow...

#667

Eggplant IV

5x7 acrylic on panel

Another eggplant :) I love how its paler there at the cap end. In other news, little Naomi reached the two-week mark yesterday... shes growing up so fast! I know, I know, its a crazy thing to be saying at this point, but I swear she looks more grown up every morning. Im working on a painting of her, too- I will share this weekend ;)

#666

Coffee?

6x6 acrylic on panel

Warm morning light on one of those heavy diner cup and saucer setups, awaiting your pleasure :)

#665

Garlic Sketch III

sketchbook

Had fun studying this one garlic clove, along with the same muted colors and the silver paint.... and now Im off to watch Baby sleep some more :)

#664

Garlic Sketch II

sketchbook

Just having fun with garlic, messing around with a restricted palette... and some silver metallic paint :)

#663

White Pumpkins

8x8 acrylic on cradled hardboard panel

click here to visit my Etsy Store

Had way too much fun with the colors on this one! I guess its all the layers on the pumpkins themselves, colors and colors in there making for such a nice glow in the whites, its really kind of cool the way some paintings bring themselves together.... And now this one needs a good home, especially since its so seasonally appropriate and all :)

#662

Plum V

5x5 acrylic on panel

More fun with somewhat reflective dark purple round thingies... guess thats all a plum can be said to have in common with an eggplant, huh? More interesting color variation here, though.

#661

Salt and Pepper

6x6 acrylic on panel

Something a little different.... another favorite subject of daily painters, one Ive never tried before. Tricky, but really cool, something youve seen so many times you dont really see it anymore, but then you paint it and it all comes to life, you know?

#660

Eggplant III

5x7 acrylic on panel

Eggplants are awesome, arent they? Such a wonderful saturated color, and such a simple friendly shape :) That little racing stripe along the side, where its reflecting the ground, that always a fun detain too....

#659

October Pumpkin

6x6 acrylic on panel

Now theres something a tad more seasonally appropriate :) I got a few mini-pumpkins at the farmers market, just couldnt help myself.... in other news, Baby is one week old today (wow) and she is still perfect and beautiful and the most wonderful Baby in the whole wide world. Heres a picture:

#658

Red Velvet Cupcake

5x7 acrylic on panel

collection of Lynsi Coressel

Wow, what a fun color combination, that wonderful red and the cool blue grey... and that luxurious cream cheese icing. And sprinkles, cant forget the sprinkles. Starting to get into a nice pattern with Baby, figuring out how to paint with a newborn in the house... advice is more than welcome, I must say!

#657

Chocolate Cupcake II

5x7 acrylic on panel

collection of Lynsi Coressel

Yay, cupcake commissions! Stacked the icing even deeper on this one, all the more chocolatey goodness to go around :)

#656

Peach on White

5x7 acrylic on hardboard panel

Well, Im missing summertime anyways- its feeling like winter here, almost, being so cool and rainy all of a sudden... supposed to be pretty again by Monday, though :) Maybe not summertime peaches pretty, but very nice nonetheless. Looking forward to taking Baby out in it and showing her all the pretties....

Vanilla Cupcake II

5x5 acrylic on hardboard panel

collection of Marianne Martin

Back from the hospital yesterday, bringing along the most wonderful little person in the whole wide world :) Also, I have a confession to make- I did some extra daily paintings late in the pregnancy, knowing that I would not have a super lot of time after she came, getting used to having a baby around and all.... so heres the first of those. Something sweet, to celebrate :)

Sunflower Sketch

sketchbook

There we go... still pretty, still baby-focused (some flowers that were brought to us in the hospital, actually. I love sunflowers), but a little more along my usual lines :)

Naomi Sketch III

sketchbook

More of the same, except trying graphite this time... And I probably ought to stop this for a little while, since theres no way I can expect all of you to be quite as completely, head over heels in love with our little girl as we are :)

Naomi Sketch II

sketchbook

Just a value sketch, I guess... Augh, how can something so perfect in real life be so difficult to portray?

Naomi Sketch I

sketchbook

I expect it will be quite a while before I can do her any justice, poor thing.... Anyways, our wonderful daughter Naomi arrived early Monday morning :)

Lemon Sketch II

sketchbook

And here is another lemon.... posting itself! No, I set it to post at around my usual time.... because I am in the hospital :) I had an induction scheduled for 2:00 this afternoon, because it is now about two weeks after Baby's due date, and its about time she made her appearance. So I am probably very preoccupied right now, and will probably be terribly busy for a while here... but I will return just as soon as we get all settled in and get this whole baby thing figured out. Wish us luck!

#649

Lemon Sketch

sketchbook

I tried to get the same glow with this lemon as with the persimmon yesterday.... and failed utterly. Trying too hard? Overthinking? (thats absolutely a possibility for me) Or just picked the wrong colors? Ah, who knows- thats why we do these sketches, right? Practice, practice, practice. I did discover that I like the background color- cadmium red deep, light blue violet, and titanium white- and the strong diagonal shadows are pretty cool.

#648

Persimmon II

6x6 acrylic on hardboard panel

collection of Maryann Knipscheer

Thought I might paint this little booger again :) Tried to keep it really soft and glowy.... I guess by using the same colors all over, kind of echoing them around the canvas, you know? It creates a really nice feeling.

#647

Persimmon and Stripes

6x6 acrylic on hardboard panel

colection of Sophia Albov

I am so in love with the colors on this one! Somehow the glow came together just right, and I dunno, Im going to have to use the stripey thing more often, I believe :) So far as the fruit itself goes.... Ive seen so many paintings the amazing Carol Marine has done of persimmons, it made me curious, and when I saw some at the farmers market this past weekend I just couldnt resist getting one. No, I havent tried it yet- waiting for it to feel softer, more ripe. Or maybe I just want to paint it again tomorrow :)

#646

Pomegranate

6x6 acrylic on hardboard panel

collection of Maryann Knipscheer

Decidedly out of sorts tonight... truly loved working with the rich wonderful colors and the thick juicy paint, but I cant think of a single thing to say that is even distantly entertaining. So, happy Tuesday, everyone :)

#645

Peach Slices

5x7 acrylic on panel

This one seems much more graphic-design-ey to my than usual fare, doesnt it? But I really do like it... trying to decide why. The purple background, maybe, I picked that to go opposite the pretty golden color of the peach. Or maybe its the directly overhead viewpoint with the round shape and the two diamondy shapes. Either way, fun.

#644

Corkscrew III

8x8 acrylic on canvas

Still here, folks. Having fun painting a wine bottle opener, working mostly in black and white... and then the occaisional glimmers of other colors, especially in the chrome. Kitchen do-dads can be so pretty.... or maybe not pretty, but nice to look at in their functionality or whatever :)

#643

Daylily Sketch

sketchbook

Ok, a little too summertime, I know. Hey, Im sticking my head in the sand today! Pretty blues, pretty yellows, big friendly brushstrokes. Happy thoughts and hoping Baby comes soon, because I really dont want to forcibly evict her :)

#642

Teacup and Shadow

6x6 acrylic on cradled hardboard panel

There we go.... busy-busy-busy today. And in an incredibly weird mood. Hoping the weird mood means I'm about to go into labor or something. Either way, its everyones favorite teacup, posing here on a pale blue background, with the sun shining through.... what is it with me and backlighting? It is fun with the glass, though, isn't it? Anyways, this is up in my Etsy Store now (that's a link, if you're interested), and it is my bedtime, folks! Hope you're all looking at a wonderful weekend!

#641

Garlic and Blue

5x5 acrylic on panel

collection of Jennifer Johnson

All the pretty colors and layers... something that went into dinner tonight- yay spaghetti sauce! Ultramarine there in the background, some permanent violet and warm greys added in for the garlic itself, trying to get all the papery layers and such.

#640