Key to My Heart

Key to my Heart, oil on board, 12 x 9

It's that time of year again. The stores are filled with valentines and heart shaped candy.
This Trompe L'Oeil has everything a valentine needs with a red, heart shaped lollipop, vintage valentines and an old skeleton key.

This painting was awarded Best of Trompe L'oeil at the recent International Guild of Realism Show

It can be purchased at Cavalier Galleries

Jack-in-the-Box at Breckenridge Invitational

Jack-in-the-Box, oil on board, 16 x 18

My painting, Jack-in-the-Box, will be shown (and for sale) at The Breckenridge Invitational Art Show Benefiting Breckenridge Fine Art Center

37 Winners from the last 10 years of their National Juried Art Shows will have work on display.
You can see the show February 16th through March 10th at the Breckenridge Fine art Center:
207 N Breckenridge Ave.
Breckenridge, TX 76424
254.559.6602

It was Neither More Nor Less Than a Pig

It was Neither More Nor Less Than a Pig, 18 x 24, oil on cradled board

This is the finished painting. The title comes from a line in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

The porcelain was a bigger challenge than I thought it would be.

I hope you enjoyed the Work in Progress. Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question

Porcelain Porcine - Day 5

Porcelain pigs, Work in progress

Still building up the colors, modeling the shapes, adding details

Porcelain Porcine - Day 4

Porcelain pigs, work in process

I decided to dull down the background a bit.I spent most of the day blending and smoothing the porcelain.

Porcelain Porcine - Day 3

Porcelain Pigs, work in progress

I skipped showing the image for day 2 because I think only I could tell that any progress was made. Day 2 was spent adding shape and form, darks and lights to the porcelain.

Here, at the end of Day 3, you can see that everything has started to solidify. The shapes are taking on more character.

More tomorrow

Porcelain Porcine - Work in progress

Porcelain Pigs, work in progress
I had a Need to create a painting with bone china or porcelain. My first thought was 'Teacups'. But as I browsed through my Cabinet of Curiosities I came across this sounder of pigs.

I draw the still life on a piece of tracing paper first then transfer the drawing onto the canvas or board.

Sometimes I do detailed monochromatic or Grisaille underpaintings and then build up the colors. This is a fairly monochromatic painting so I'm starting by blocking in the colors and the lights and darks.

This is how the painting looks at the end of Day 1

Reflections of a Chocolate Tart

Reflections of a Chocolate Tart, 24 x 12, oil on cradled board

I wanted to do a simple painting and since I haven't painted Food in awhile I chose to set up this little chocolate still life.

The curved shape of the cherry stem really complemented the almost symmetrical shape of the chocolate tart.

I See by Your Outfit

I See by Your Outfit, 30 x 20, oil on canvas

The title of this painting comes from a line in the song "Cowboy's Lament": I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy

This Trompe L'Oeil painting has everything you need to be a cowboy (or cowgirl). First, you have your fringed shirt with a sheriff's badge. Add your boots, gloves and a scarf signed by the King of the Cowboys, Roy Rogers. You can't go anywhere without your horse,your six shooter and favorite Dime Novel. Take along your pardner, Howdy Doody, and you're ready to hit the trail. Yee Haw!