Gala Apple 3: Demonstration

I figured I should shoot pictures of the process for at least one of these "Apple" paintings, just in case anybody out there is interested. I have been painting these on some new wood panels I bought recently. The main difference between these and the old ones and that these are raw wood and I take care of the priming, which I like in this context.

For this and more step by step painting demonstrations, visit my Facebook Page!

Gala Apple, Oil on Wood, 6 x 6 in., 2011

Sky Etude

The sky is always on the background. It's kind of a given. Well, not anymore! I have not painted many skies before (I wonder why) and one day I just took my camera and started shooting this gorgeous sunset down at the Santa Monica Pier. I found myself forgetting the horizon, the sea, the land altogether! The sky was just too beautiful!!!

Sky Etude, Oil on Wood, 6 x 6 in., 2011

I wanted to paint this one in one sitting, but it was pretty evident right from the start than this painting would benefit more from a layered approach. In the future, I will pace myself and let these little paintings cook slowly. I use layers all the time with acrylics, but it's been a while since I painted this way with oils. I see a new mini series of paintings in the horizon!

Gala Apple 2

After my Thanksgiving break, these apples were the only thing left in my fridge. So I painted them before I ate them!

I had never painted one of these in this position before. It was tricky and I should definitely do it again in the future. The multiple sources of light also gave it a nice quality (although they did dime the dark tones a little bit) and allowed me to use the shadows as elements in the composition.

Gala Apple, Oil on Wood, 6 x 6 in., 2011

I think this is going to become a good template for future still life paintings. I like the minimalistic quality of this composition. Maybe I should go grocery shopping and get other kinds of apples, too! That's an interesting idea...

Gala Apple 1

I was going to eat this apple yesterday and then I started to look at it, analyzing its shape and color patterns. I like Gala apples the best because of their flavor, but I also enjoy looking at their pinkish peel, that fashions little touches of red and yellow. It is definitely a challenge to paint, something that might take some practice to get right.

Gala Apple, Oil on Wood, 6 x 6 in. 2011

As of now, I just want to keep it simple and relatively fast. One sitting, minor retouching. One thing I noticed is that I had been using lots of photo references lately, so I decided to do some real life alla prima paintings to keep my depth perception chops in check.

Seascape 8: Waves

I'm trying to capture the magic of Impressionism more and more with these little seascapes. They are becoming freer every time, and I dig how they almost look like abstract paintings when looked at up close but reveal themselves when looked at from a distance.

Seascape 8, Oil on Wood Panel, 8 x 8 inches, 2011

I love the combination of oils, bristle brushes and wood panels! These seascapes are so rich in texture and color. And they look pretty cool, too! I definitely like where these paintings are taking me. I love realistic work but I also love modern and more synthesized approaches of representation. These are paintings after all! Let's see the strokes, the textures, the purity of the pigments. There's plenty of room on this blog for all of it!

And of course, there are some more realistic paintings in the works, too!