Art Apart

Staying home in response to the pandemic has been interesting for Bruce and me. In some ways things are the same. We take walks in the woods, ride our bikes, I spend time in the studio and Bruce practices his bass. Of course, many other things are different. We really miss getting together with our family and friends.

My artist friends and I decided to keep our art dialogue going by sharing photos of the artwork we're making during this time of isolation. Bruce dubbed this "Art Apart". I have found it a little hard to focus on painting and there have been pieces that ended up in the trash. Here are some paintings that I think worked.

The first three paintings were done from life in my studio. The painting of pomegranates was done from a photo I took years ago in California. That was the first time I had seen pomegranates on a tree instead of in a bin at the supermarket. I love the way they hang and split open.

"Clementines & Mug"
14" x 11", oil on linen panel

"Pitcher of Tulips"
18" x 14", oil on linen panel, SOLD

"Pan of Onions"
12" x 16", oil on linen panel  SOLD

"California Pomegranates"
24" x 12", oil on linen panel, SOLD

Good Year for Beets

Last summer we had a great crop of beets in our garden. They made an irresistible subject for painting. The grays of the newspaper set off the bright burgundy of the beets and their dark glossy leaves. I painted this in my studio, but added the grassy green background to give the effect of being outdoors.

"Beet Harvest"
12" x 9", oil on linen panel  SOLD

Lime Green

Every year our local art gallery, Art Beat of Hayward, organizes an exhibit celebrating a color. This year's color was lime green. Everyone is invited to submit a piece of art work. Folks get creative and the pieces range from paintings, pottery, wearable art and beyond. It's a big event every February.

I painted a couple of pieces and ended up submitting "Apple Peeler". I've cranked out lots of apple crisp using this little piece of Yankee ingenuity. I decided to pair it with some Granny Smiths in a still life. It's a complicated arrangement. I wanted lots of lime green apples to set off the red peeler. I kept the background values close to unify the apples and dish towel. There is strong contrast in the foreground with the peeler, apples and ribbons of peels.

"Green Glads" was painted from a photo I took years ago. I love the sculptural quality of the flowers.

"Apple Peeler"
12" x 16", oil on linen panel

"Green Glads"
8" x 8", oil on linen panel SOLD

Patterns

I've always been interested in using patterned fabric in my still life arrangements. It's a challenge to combine and paint two-dimensional patterns with three-dimensional objects. I set up the peaches on a dish towel with a great 60's mod design. It was fun to paint the pattern reflected in the silver bowl. I've had the fabric printed with the samurai for years and finally used it in a still life. I like the way he's eyeing the mangoes.

"Mod Peaches"
12" x 9", oil on linen panel

"Samurai & Mangoes"
12" x 12", oil on linen panel