Primary Primer with Pears

It seems to have taken an age for this grumpy old badger to shake herself awake from an extended Christmas hibernation. And of course after all that snoozing the painting muscles needed to be warmed up, eased back into shape and given just a little gentle stretching. I went back to the basics by ”paring” down my palette to concentrate on color mixing

The slightly aging yellow pear left in the fruit bowl after the festivities, has been immortalized in these 4 quick oil studies painted using just 3 colors – Permanent Alizarin, Ultramarine Blue, Cad Yellow – & White.
** If you need a primer on your primaries, check out the cool video at the end brought to you by Sesame Street, and by the colors Red, Blue and Yellow

These paintings are on gessoed watercolor paper which I like to use for studies and experimental pieces. I snap up the watercolor paper pads on sale and then add 3 coats of gesso to protect the paper from the oil in the paint.

You can see larger images of the paintings on Etsy – click the pic to see a close up of all that juicy brushwork
Or if you are interested in owning one…or perhaps A Pair?

Yellow Pear I - small oil painting on paper - 8x7"

Yellow Pear I - oil - 8x7"

Yellow Pear II - small oil painting on paper - 9x7.5"

Yellow Pear II - oil - 9x7.5"

Yellow Pear III - small oil painting - 9x9"

Yellow Pear III - oil - 9x9"

Yellow Pear IV - small oil painting 9x8"

Yellow Pear IV - oil 9x8"

Not your Granny’s Lace Curtains

By far my favorite window this year – three lacy layers of cut paper creates a magical winter wonderland at Sephora 5th Ave NYC

created by artist Andrea Mastrovito – see more images at Foley Gallery including one of the whole gorgeous facade

597 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Cross-Streets: On 5th Avenue, between East 48th & 49th Streets

http://www.sephora.com/

 

Last Weekend to go BANG

Halloween Hangover 5x5" small still life oil painting of empty chocolate wrapper

Halloween Hangover 5x5" oil

Due to the freaky snow storm and general lack of electricity, we only had 3 intrepid Trick or Treaters this Halloween – leaving us with a small dilemma.

What is a girl to do with a large cauldron full of chocolate?

Stop by for some mulled cider and see this little gem at the last weekend of BANG!

Saturday 10 & Sunday 11, 11-5pm
BANG!VI (Buy Art Now Guys!)
1978 Arts Center
1978 Springfield Ave
Maplewood, NJ

www.1978artscenter.org

Art Ache Cured in Maplewood, NJ

The temperature was rising at BANG! VI this weekend, as art fever raged and you swarmed to Buy Art Now Guys!

More goodies will be delivered this weekend to alleviate your Art Ache, so stop by and add your own little red spot to the contagion

Saturday 10 & Sunday 11, 11-5pm
1978 Arts Center
1978 Springfield Ave
Maplewood, NJ

Here’s what you missed -

 

Happy Blackened Friday

For all my over-seas readers Black Friday is an American tradition following Thanksgiving, when you should overcook the left-over Turkey until it is well and truly charred, so you can then throw it away without feeling guilty and go out for Chinese instead.

At least, I think that’s the gist of it

Whilst this is happening it is traditional to while away the smoke filled hours in the kitchen by leafing through the Catalogue Mountain, making a start on the holiday pressie list and optimizing your coupons

To share the joy of this holiday with my more far flung cousins, there is free worldwide shipping on all the goodies in my Etsy store this weekend. Just type ONFIRE in the coupon code at checkout