Swans

10" x 10" Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas
On auction at DPW.

Over Thanksgiving, I visited the migratory bird sanctuary in the bluff country along the Mississippi in southern Minnesota. The day was cold but bright, giving the water nice blue tones. Most of the birds were fairly sedate or feeding, but sometimes there was some action I could catch. The white adults are just the color you would imagine for a swan.

Corked

7" x 5" Oil on panel.
Sold.

I actually have been saving this cork for a while so that I could paint it. It was the most wickedly split cork I have seen that was still able to come out of the bottle in close to one piece. It also had a contrasting pink interior color. Pairing it with a "shiny thing" made it fun to paint.

Nutcracker Impression

8" x 10" Oil on linen.
Available.

In the Christmas spirit, I decided to worth this my red nutcracker. The goal here was to work on edges to keep the result "loose". I started with blocking in masses of color and then added detail later. I want to continue in this direction to intentionally reduce tightness/detail. I like the lost edges which give the painting a changing character from different distances.

Espresso and Lipstick

7" x 5" Oil on panel.

Subdued color with that hint that she has taken some sips.

English Breakfast Tea

7" x 5" Oil on panel.

Twinning's English Breakfast tea has great classic packaging. This little painting gave me a chance to play with reflections including the slight red glow on the cloth. I also liked restraining the detail. It is easy to go too far.

Garlic and Cruet

10" x 8" Oil on panel
Available.

Bright highlights shine against a dim background. The papery garlic skin glows in the shadows.

Acorn Squash and Vase

7" x 5" Oil on panel.

This is a nicely mottled squash that sits with my new small vase.