12.18.2017

from 2006

Poinsettia; oil on panel; 6" x 9.5" 2006
During this busy holiday time, I thought I'd post another past oil painting for you all.  I remember loving how these gorgeous leaves stretched out and filled the entire picture frame.  There's a slight asymmetry to the composition - which pleases me still.  And that iridescent film they use to wrap the pots - and the gradient in the background - well - I could go on and on.

As I'm sure you all are - I've been juggling many tasks here this week.  Among them is a bunch of peonies that I bought at Whole Foods.  $12 for five tight little buds - but I'm very hopeful that they'll open up properly and delight us all.  They've definitely swelled in the last couple of days and are currently set up with a conch shell on a round teal mat.  I've got two pieces of tape on the floor where the tips of my toes will go (a ritual of mine) and a spot light poised just so.  I'm excited to get started on this - hopefully tomorrow evening.

Tonight there's still studio tidying to be done, preparation for a lesson and some writing I need to catch up on. 

On the easel - but not yet started: painting number 100 - the last of the Reboot - and the beginning of the next chapter here.  I'm pretty sure it will have peonies and a conch shell in it - we'll soon see.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

So that's what painter's tape is for.

Mary Klein said...

I remember classes where we'd mark not only our foot placement - but our easels too. We had to label our tape marks to distinguish them from the other students'. There ended up being a lot of tape on the floor. Just another reason I took up all the carpet here and painted the subfloor - that and having a dog.

Jan said...

I'm fortunate to just have time to put out the paint! This is lovely and the colors so different from what you usually use.

Mary Klein said...

Sounds like you're keeping up a good pace there, Jan!

The poinsettia is from my oil painting days - when I was using lead white and cadmiums. I've moved away from the heavy metals and volatile solvents now. I can still look back and appreciate what I painted then but it's so nice now enjoying a non-toxic studio. Also, I've got much greater peace of mind with the little ones coming in two days. No worries about them getting into something they shouldn't - plus, they can paint with casein too!

Thank you for your comment,
Mary