"THE FLUTE PLAYER' 6" X 8" Oil on canvasboard

This is my three-year-old grandson having a good old time playing the tonette I learned to play in fourth grade a long, long time ago. Once he learned how to make it play different notes he really went to town. We keep it here at my house. For some reason, his daddy thought it would be better here rather than there.                                                                                 

"ORANGES TO SPARE" 6" X 6" oil on board

This was enjoyable to paint, but I noticed because of our heat here in Arizona (it's 110 degrees today) the oil paint was drying much faster than normal. I had to hurry to work it before it set up. I may need to go back in and soften some edges on the plate rim later on.                                                                                 

"CURTAIN CALL" 6" X 6" oil SOLD

"They're b-a-a-ck!" More pears! I have just been enjoying this subject so much that I couldn't stop. I wanted to change it up a bit with backlighting which intrigues me.

I also wanted to thank everyone for your encouragement and kind words. It makes a big difference -
 a H-U-G-E difference, and I am so appreciative!

Daily Paintworks has opened up their membership to artists for showing and perhaps auctioning their art. DPW has made it very affordable and easy to list and keep track of your artwork. A superb job of programming by David Marine. I am now listed with them and looking forward to several new things they offer. Go to   http://www.dailypaintworks.com/dailypaintings to see the art, read the artists' profiles and see how the auctions work.
                                                                         

"VIEW FROM ABOVE" 6" X 6" Oil on board

These recent efforts in painting "free-er" and "loose-er" have me wondering every time, "Have I gone too far?" Is the color scheme effective? Are my soft edges too extreme? And the BIG one...Is the texture too wild and chaotic? I enjoy working in this style, but I'm also hoping to produce a "good" painting... one that has viable substance, something to share.                                                                               

"OUT TO PASTURE" Oil on board SOLD

                                                                                

For being "put out to pasture" this old car doesn't appear to be completely lost. There is a bit (okay, more than a "bit") of rust, but the wheels are still on, the windows are intact and both headlights are attached. Seems to me it might have a second life in the right hands.                                                                            

"CACTUS WREN" 6" X 6" Pastel

The Cactus Wren is one of my favorite local birds. They stay here year round and are very industrious and not as timid as some of our birds. They make many different sounds, and in the summertime we often wake up to their "voices." They like to nest in Yucca plants or cactus and their nests can be quite elaborate and labor-intensive. Here are a couple of photos my husband took around the neighborhood.

                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                       

"SUNNY AND HOT" 6" X 6" Oil on panel

I saw these small yellow peppers in Safeway the other day and thought I'd try painting them. They have a very smooth surface with few ups and downs to create shadows. The values are all very close in contrast, so I improvised again deepening the hue in some areas. Now, it's into the salad they go!

                                                                                

"LEMON TREE" 6" X 6" Oil on panel

The Daily Paintworks Challenge this week was to paint something you see out your window. I thought a branch of the lemon tree would be appropriate. I had to decide what colors to use in the "darks" of the lemon, and being one who never shies from color felt browns and oranges would work. Thus, we have a "lemorange."