Plein-air Still Life Painting

Last June my friend Judy and I enrolled in a 2-day plein-air painting workshop at the Peninsula School of Art in Door County, Wisconsin. Our excellent instructor was Kyle Martin. We spent the first day painting a still life outdoors and the second day working on a landscape. Kyle is an accomplished and passionate plein-air painter with lots of great methods for organizing a composition. I left inspired to paint plein-air still lifes. Summer whizzed by and I didn't get as much done as I intended. Here are a couple of paintings. The first was started outside, but finished in the studio from photos. I set up the second still life outside, but painted it entirely in the studio.

I set this painting up outside and blocked it in, but finished it in my studio.

"Pitcher with Chives"
16" x 12", oil on linen panel 

This one was done entirely in the studio from photos.

"Garden Hose"
12" x 9", oil on linen panel  SOLD

Gouache Paintings

During the past year I've experimented with acrylic gouache. It's a water-based opaque paint that dries to a matte finish. Unlike traditional gouache, this acrylic version doesn't water spot. I spray each painting with a couple coats of matte varnish for extra protection. I paint on multi-media board and then mount the painting on a cradled wooden panel. Because the paint dries almost instantaneously, I can't blend like I do with oils. It forces me to think about shapes and work more abstractly. I also like the bright colors. 

"Pink Sponge #1"
8" x 6", acrylic gouache on board

"Pink Sponge #2"
6" x 6", acrylic gouache on board, SOLD

"Green Apple & White Bowls"
6" x 6", acrylic gouache on board

"Green Apples & Obi"
8" x 6", acrylic gouache on board SOLD

"Avocados & Chopsticks"
8" x 6", acrylic gouache on board, SOLD

"Plate of Pomegranates"
6" x 8", acrylic gouache on board  SOLD

"Green Apples & Mug"
16" x 16", acrylic gouache on board  SOLD