The Gift 6" x6" oil

This was given to me with instructions: Do not open until you paint it! So the next day I got right to it so I could open it! Any guesses what was in it?

Apples in Low Light 8" x 8" oil

Back to the basics doing apples. Discovered two new colors - Terra Rosa and Cadmium Deep.

Tiny Shadows 8" x 10" oil

This is a collections of my friends really cool stuff that was hanging around in her studio. The "shadow box" is an old, wooden tray for silverware, painted red on the outside. It was fun to set up but not as fun to paint. Way to much information in such a small space. I do that a lot, try to cram to much into the picture. Id like to try this again only much larger.

Golden Beet 6" x 8" oil

I saw these at the grocery store and had to paint one. It is a golden beet. The inside is a very bright yellow color and they are milder in taste than the regular red beets (which I don't like). So after I painted this I peeled it and chopped it up and ate it in my salad. Happens a lot to my still life subjects.

Ornament Jewels 6" x 8" oil

Glass ornaments, in a clear glass vase, against a black background. This was a fun challenge. Very sparkly!

Golden Gift 6" x 8" oil

Here's the golden box with the shiny purple ribbon again. The ribbon is tricky because it is shiny and a hard color to mix, plus somewhat transparent with sparkles. What was I thinking? I tried to apply Robert Burridge's "Goof-Proof color wheel principles.

Pine cone tree 6" x 8 ' oil

This was a giant pine cone about 12" tall which made a good "tree". I didn't have a direct light on the still life and as a result had almost no shadows because of the sunlight coming in the window directly behind me. I am finding painting near a window to be a big factor during the sun-less winter days we have. Such a contrast. If I have the window behind the set up for light it hurts my eyes, almost light staring into a bright light. If it's behind me then shadows get distorted. I am back to setting things up in a box -but I sure hate blocking the light from the window. Definitely leads to cabin fever....