9.22.11 Last Day of Summer

$50

I was feeling a little bit sad about the last day of summer, and decided to paint something symbolic.
So, same as last year, I have a plan to keep posting postcard paintings once or twice a week even though my daily painting project is over. Last year that didn't go so well, but I have more confidence for this year—so I hope you will remember to come back and check out what is new from time to time.
Gouache, 6" x 4"

9.21.11 Wandering Jew

sold

So, here we are at the penultimate daily painting for summer 2011. I went on a jog in Huntsville, and noticed lots of wandering jew growing in the yards.
Gouache, 4" x 6"

9.20.11 Japanese Maple Leaves

$50

Gouache, 6" x 4"

9.19.11 Short stemmed peony

$50

Acrylic, 4" x 6"

9.18.11 Crepe Myrtle

$50

Crepe myrtle does well in the south—there are lots around my parents neighborhood.
Gouache, 4" x 6"

9.17.11 Monte Sano Lookout

sold

The Huntsville art fair is up on the mountain in a state park. This outlook was on the opposite side of the fair from where I was set up. I have lots of childhood memories from picnics and hikes in this park.
It was fun showing in my home town—I saw lots of old family friends and acquaintances. The weather was perfect, and the sales were good. And my parents are very good volunteer art fair assistants.
Gouache, 5" x 7"

9.16.11 Dried Leaves

$50

Today, Sept. 22, is officially the last day of summer. Since I have a lag between when I paint and when I post, there are still about a week's worth of daily paintings to come.
Gouache, 5" x 7"

9.15.11 My parents' new couch

$60

Gouache, 5" x 6.5"

9.14.11 Driving South

$50

This was done from memory after a day of driving south, on my way to Alabama.
Gouache, 5" x 6.5"

9.13.11 Burgundy Moon Flowers

$50

Gouache, 4" x 6"

9.12.11 Life Drawing

$50

I went to an open model session at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design last Monday night with my friend Kristin. It brought back lots of memories of life drawing classes from SCAD. Same stark white room with big, tall windows. I did spend most of the two hours drawing the model, but my attention drifted towards the end of the session to the some of the details of the room, depicted here.
Gouache, 4" x 6"

9.11.11 Orange flowers

$50

A variation of composition and shift in colors from that same favorite bouquet.
Gouache, 4" x 6"

9.10.11 Brown and White Tree

sold

Gesso and pencil on cardboard, 5" x 7"

9.9.11 Simplified

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A little simplification/geometri-fication on the composition.
Gouache, 4" x 6"

9.8.11 On a sunny porch

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I included the sunny yellow color of our porch, where this bouquet lived in this version. I actually wanted to do that in the first painting, but also liked the bouquet on the stark white background, so decided to do a separate painting for this exploration.
Gouache, 5" x 7", framed to 8" x 10"

9.7.11 Zinnias and Amaranth

sold

Last week I got several bouquets worth of cut flowers from my friend Shelly. She was cutting them back to get her garden ready for fall, and thought I might like some for inspiration. Turns out I found this bouquet very inspirational. Several days of paintings on this subject will be coming your way.
Gouache, 5" x 7"

9.6.11 Arles, France

sold

It's such a cliche, the bicycle in front of a little cafe, but France is full of this stuff. I actually started this daily painting last year, but set it aside. It's already been almost two years since that trip... I would definitely go back to southern France. October was a great time of year to be there.

9.5.11 Alyssum

$50

My Carpet of Snow Alyssum were late bloomers, but strong performers.
Gouache, 4" x 6"

9.4.11 Marigolds

$60

Marigolds are one of the few things that I had luck with growing from seed both last year and this year.
Gouache, 5" x 7"

9.3.11 Sky blue garden

$60

Acrylic on wood panel, 7" x 5"

9.2.11 Turquoise flowers

$60

My starting point for this painting was the color. I think in the end it might be a little too much of that one color for me though.
Oil on wood panel, 5" x 7"

9.1.11 Dark corner of the pond

$70

I used a reference shot that I took at the Chicago conservatory earlier this summer for this oil painting.
Oil on wood panel, 5" x 7"

8.31.11 Hazy Sun and Plants

$50

Only three more weeks of summer daily paintings. I think this summer went even faster than last...And I know the next three weeks are going to fly for me—three art fair weekends back to back!
Gouache, 4" x 6"

8.30.11 Corner Garden

$60

I did a couple of renditions of this garden on our corner last summer. (1 & 2) This garden belongs to the same green-thumbed neighbor I mentioned last post. I really can't get enough of it. I might need to do a large scale fully developed painting based on this scene...
Gouache, 4" x 6"

8.29.11 Roses for June

$60

I had to do June one more time, to get it right for the calendar. I like this bushier, more vibrant version better than the one I did on June 30.
Speaking of the calendar, you can now order it online! They will be ready for shipping/pick up by the end of September.

8.28.11 Amaranth

$50

Here's one that I have been thinking about doing all summer. I had some volunteer Amaranth grow in the planters on my porch this summer. Since I hadn't planted them, I assumed they were weeds, pretty enough to let grow in spite of there lowly status. Luckily I have a neighbor with a green thumb who enlightened me.

8.27.11 Art Nouveau clouds

$50

An interpretation of those clouds in Duluth.
Gouache, 4" x 6"