White Horse: Work in Progress

Something a little different today...

I thought that I would show you a large horse painting that I have worked on for several days. I hope to finish this 30" x 40" canvas this weekend. I took it as far as I could, and let it "rest" for a while before deciding exactly how I want to portray the horse's mane.

I want to add a flowing mane, but I don't want to obscure any of the musculature, which I intend to be the highlight and main focus of the acrylic painting. This dilemma was cause for a respite.

I still need to paint in the shadows, too. I may minimize the mane, and simplify the bright background a bit. But I am pleased with the cool hues of the horse.

Please stay tuned as I attempt to finish this latest project.

The Final Peppers (or Big Red and Big Green)

Okay, I don't want anyone to think that I am obsessed with peppers, so I promise that I will change subject matter really soon. But the light effects on these colorful objects are simply very inviting as a painting subject. I just couldn't resist...and since the peppers were out of season when I bought them, I naturally want to get my money's worth!

I hope you enjoy this latest exercise, which I am calling "Big Red and Big Green". This is a small oil painting, 5" x 7" on panel, which I am considering framing in similar dark frames as with the others in the "Pepper Collection". As with the other square shaped panels, this painting was completed alla prima.

Thanks again for visiting. A new challenge begins tomorrow! (Probably???)

Red and Green

I used my light box to highlight these small red peppers nestled against the large, dark green pepper. I enjoy these two colors together, even outside of the holiday season.

I completed this small 5" x 7" oil painting last night, and attempted to photograph it in natural light. I still think that I can improve on the photography, but the colors are fairly true. I think I may frame a few of these pepper pictures, and offer them for sell as a set. I am debating the frame color, though. I don't want the frame color to compete with the intensity of the oil colors in these brightly painted works.

I don't believe that these paintings will require a varnish. The oils that I used were very consistent.

Please contact me with any questions or comments.

Until tomorrow, Ciao!

Picked Another Pepper to Paint

"Green Pepper"


8" x 8"


Oil on Panel



My final pepper from the recent raid that I made on the produce section of my local grocery store was this large green pepper. (I think it is a poblano, but I really don't know for certain). I plan to also paint this alongside some very red chili peppers, to celebrate the juxtaposition of these two vibrantly colored veggies.

I chose a decidedly warmer background than with my previous pepper pics, to make the greens stand out in this darker, "cooler" subject. I am pleased with the results in this exercise...but, tomorrow is another day...

Comparison of Light Effects

A friend suggested to me that I was doing my art an injustice by photographing and posting it in artificial light. I knew that natural light was best, and I had purchased a special "natural light lamp" and bulb, hoping to get that pure white light effect without hauling everything outside for photographing. Still, I noticed that my paintings, once photographed, looked a little "washed out", as they did not always reflect the true, pure colors that I used in the painting process.

I now conclude that there is no substitute for natural white light. As an illustration, I photographed the Big Red Bell Pepper a second time...this time in natural light. I see that the colors look much truer, richer, more accurate.

This is very important, because I want to show my art as realistically as possible, with no surprises to the buyer, or viewer, when they look upon the actual work. I pledge to improve my art photography skills henceforth!

Big Red Bell Pepper

Well, I guess the title says it all!

I am now running out of produce. Hmmm...there may be one more green pepper in the fridge awaiting its portrait. Maybe tomorrow...

Anyway, I am trying to learn to paint these single objects with a very few brushstrokes, yet still lend some realism to the object. Basically, I am trying to master quick broad brushstrokes while working on these small 8" x 8" oil paintings, alla prima.

It is really fun to finish these paintings in a single setting. I enjoy the color contrasts of the strong red and green, as well.

Not So Peachy Keen

Oil Painting
6" x 8"

I had a real struggle with this peach. It was such an unusual color and shape, that it really did not look like your typical peach. The colors were more yellow and purple than a typical "peach" hue,and there was very little fuzz and no stem. On top of that, it had a large bump on the bottom.

I thought that it might make for an interesting painting; however, I am still on the fence about the outcome. I just really want to go ahead and add that fuzzy texture (that isn't actually there) so that it will look more like a peach than a nectarine.

I think that I will move on, though, and try painting that poblano pepper I bought 2 days ago. I'll go ahead and tell my mother that she can eat the peach, as she has been threatening to do, since I bought it!

Two Red Hot Chili Peppers

Decided to paint something a little colorful. So I went to the grocery and stood staring at the vegetable bins, trying to decide what would make the most interesting small painting arrangements, in terms of color and structure.

Since red is my favorite color, the choice was rather easy...these brightly colored chili peppers. I also chose a large poblano pepper, a red bell pepper, and a medium peach. Well, it took me a little time to find the precisely appropriate perishables, so let me tell you that I got some really strange glances from the produce manager, as well as a few fellow customers. But, no worries! I approached the checkout counter as proud as a new parent with my carefully selected, colorful incredible edibles.

It was a great deal of fun painting red against green, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Today I may graduate to the poblano...stay with me...

Lakeside Color

Another busy weekend, but I did manage to crank out a new landscape. This one is 12" x 14", oil on panel.

I am really enjoying the buttery, flowing texture of this medium. Working with it just never gets old!

This landscape was drawn from a number of memories of my days living in Colorado. I loved the myriad of colors that each autumn would bring.

Yellow Flower

It rarely snows in this southern region; however, as in many American cities this winter, we experienced this phenomenon over the last couple of days. Maybe that is why I decided to paint a sunflower, which is perhaps the antithesis of the white, colorless wintry view from my front window.

This small oil painting is an 8" x 8" panel that I categorize as another of my "daily paintings", which I have enjoyed creating over the last couple of months, and plan to continue to post on a regular basis.

As always, comments and suggestions are welcome!