This is a tough time of year to tackle studio projects. That being said, I'm pleased with this piece - especially knowing how hard I had to fight to get long uninterrupted stretches required to do such a technical piece. I think it was worth the fight. 

It felt so good to work larger than my usual 10" x 10" sized canvas. Bigger brushes, larger swaths of colour, forced simplification and room to get into detail if I wanted too. Lots of breathing room on this canvas so I tried to capture that, especially in the background, with loose and airy brushstrokes to help tell that story. 

Lately, life has felt complex - I think that has come out in the subject here. It feels like sometimes I am better at articulating visually than with words.  An alternate title for this piece was "Hint of Lime" because of the peeks of green you can see throughout. However, I think those types of titles are better suited to fun little painting studies than to big pieces like this. I went with "Spires" because I think it better suits all that is going on here. Hope it translates. 

Okay, confession time. I ate my subject before I finished this piece. It really was as crisp and as sweet as the title suggests. I have so much fruit in my kitchen right now as a result of this little series of acrylic on cradled panel paintings. I am definitely getting my daily quota of fresh fruit this season!

This week has be very productive, might be a few days till I can post another of these little still life paintings. I have an exciting public art project in the next few days that I'll save for another post. In the meantime though, I was happy I got an early start today in the studio so I could finish this piece. 

Another little 6" x 6" completed painting. I think I've figured out what has captured my heart with these pieces lately - I'm having so much fun trying to paint these new patterns without actually painting the patterns. 

One thing about a small space like this to work on is you are forced to prioritize and simplify. To actually depict these patterns in their entirety would require a 000 brush and infinite patience. The outcome would probably be stiff and stilted as well. Instead, by focusing on the impression of the pattern, it gives the viewer a chance to participate in the experience by letting their imaginations fill in the blanks. It's neat when painter and  viewer can engage in this dance. 

Half the fun of these little plate paintings if for me to have a chance to really stop and look at what I am painting. I chose this plate because I love hand painted floral patterns an I wanted something with reds and pinks. It wasn't until I started painting that I realized that the little flowers were made up of cute little hearts. Observing what makes up a pattern really makes me appreciate the artisan's hands that drew the plate design. 

This was another piece where the name just came to me. It is those sweet little red hearts against the sour lemon - Sweet and Sour. It is another tiny 6" x 6" acrylic on cradled panel piece. 

This little cradled panel is so tiny and sweet! It measures 6" x 6" and is part of a little series of individual plate and fruit still life paintings I'm working on. I want to concentrate on these new patterns to get familiar (and honestly just enjoy each one in it's own right) but I also want to focus on keeping things fresh and loose. It was a joy to move fast and free while I was creating this!