Category Archives: Oil Painting

Flowering Crab Apple Blossoms in Bottles: Oil Paintings

Posted on April 9, 2013 by

The branches I snipped from a tree in Berkeley provided many opportunities to sketch and paint. The first were watercolor sketches. Then I did these two oil paintings and some other sketches I’ll post later. Two of my favorite things … Continue reading →

Posted in Flower Art, Glass, Oil Painting, Painting, Still Life | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Virtual Paintout: Lithuania

Posted on March 30, 2013 by

Doing a Virtual Paintout seemed like a good warm up for the plein air painting season. March’s Virtual Paintout location is Vilnius, Lithuania. It was fun using Google Street View to cruise around Lithuania, where some of my ancestors are … Continue reading →

Posted in Ink and watercolor wash, Landscape, Oil Painting, Sketchbook Pages, Virtual Paint-Out | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Two Very Different Portraits of Very Different Women

Posted on March 23, 2013 by

I painted this oil painting from a 2nd generation scan of a difficult photo. The harsh shadows, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, and brilliant fall foliage in the background created a challenge. But this was the photo her husband wanted painted … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital art, Faces, Life in general, Oil Painting, People, Portrait | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sunflowers: Studies, Struggles, Stubborness

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

It seems like I’ve been struggling with painting sunflowers forever but with each attempt I understand them a little better. I’m very stubborn and will continue trying until the sunflowers and I are really good friends. I lit the flowers … Continue reading →

Posted in Flower Art, Ink and watercolor wash, Oil Painting, Painting, Sketchbook Pages, Still Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Cocoa: A Dog Portrait

Posted on January 27, 2013 by

When I was given the photo of Cocoa to paint from, I pointed out that her face was covered with mud or sand. I was asked if I could paint her without the dirt. I laughed, since I’d just finished … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Dog, Oil Painting | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Puck: A Dog Portrait in Oils (delivered with tears and hugs)

Posted on December 19, 2012 by

This was a first: when I delivered the painting it made its owner cry! And hug me. And make me cry!  I know how much Puck, who is getting there up in dog years, means to his owner so I … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Art business, Dog, Drawing, Oil Painting, Painting, Pen and Ink, Portrait, Sketchbook Pages | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Garbanzo Bean The Dog: A Portrait and a Sketch

Posted on December 7, 2012 by

I painted this portrait of a dog named Garbanzo Bean from a bad cell phone photo (see below). I’m posting it here for Garbanzo’s owner to see if she’d like me to make any changes before I deliver it. Before … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Dog, Drawing, Ink and watercolor wash, Oil Painting, Painting, Pen and Ink, Sketchbook Pages | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Brown Delivers…in the Dark (portrait in oil with steps in the process)

Posted on November 28, 2012 by

(Update 12/2012: This painting is shortlisted for Portrait of the Year on Making a Mark where you can vote for your favorite until December 30, 6 a.m. PST). One night last winter two UPS guys arrived in the dark to … Continue reading →

Posted in Drawing, Oil Painting, Painting, People, People at Work, photoshop, Portrait, Series | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments

After the Mexican Birthday Party

Posted on November 8, 2012 by

My neighbors from Mexico really know how to celebrate birthdays. They prepare by cooking delicious traditional Mexican food for days (including a huge vat of my favorite, birria de chivo) and decorate their yard, filling the patio with tables, chairs … Continue reading →

Posted in Ink and watercolor wash, Oil Painting, Sketchbook Pages, Still Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Happy Boy Farms Tomatoes (Oil painting and process)

Posted on October 7, 2012 by

My friend Barbara said this painting made her want to lick the tomatoes right off the panel. That was her positive feedback when I got stuck and asked for advice at an earlier stage of this painting. The constructive criticism was harder to … Continue reading →

Posted in Oil Painting, Painting, Still Life | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

From Grisaille to Color: Painting a Colored Block Landscape in Oils

Posted on September 22, 2012 by

I wanted to learn how to get from a grisaille underpainting to a full color painting after I did the Frankie Flathead monochrome study. So I decided to set up some colored blocks as if they were a landscape, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Color studies, Lighting, Oil Painting, Still Life, Studio | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Frankie Flathead Finally Painted (Planes of the Head Grisaille Study)

Posted on August 21, 2012 by

When I bought a “Planes of the Head” life-sized plaster cast two years ago I wanted to learn more about portrait painting. I put it on display in the studio and studied it. I knew I should be drawing and … Continue reading →

Posted in Art theory, artists, Oil Painting, Painting, Portrait | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments