Pear, peach

5x7", water mixable oil on linen panel

I haven't had much time to paint or draw lately. But these beautiful pieces of fruit just had to be painted. This was about an hour and a half study, I think. Someday, I'll be able to do them more justice, but believe me, they're better than they would have been a year or two ago (if you don't believe me, just click on the label for "pears" at the bottom of this post--it's a little scary ;).

I think I'm painting a little too thin lately. My first experiences painting were with watercolor, and I still try to make use of that background as part of my value scheme (letting some of the white show through the paint on top). Oil doesn't work quite the same way, and I need to build up a little more paint. I think I'm slowly getting a little bit better at matching colors, though, and that's a good thing. Shadows are still a little confusing for me, especially the dark color right under the fruit. On a positive note, all that drawing practice I've been doing has really been helping me quickly lay in simple things like fruit, without needing to do much adjusting down the road.

Here is a collection of supplies I was gathering yesterday afternoon (and I thought they looked kind of pretty, so I took a picture :). Tomorrow I'm beginning a month of study at the CAS, and it's exciting and nerve-racking and all that good stuff. I'm sure it will be fine. But it might make me a little crazy. I give you fair warning :P