These two very small ( 5 x 7") paintings have evolved painfully slowly. They are on ampersand gesso board, and it took me awhile to get used to the slick surface. But finally, after many short sessions the flowers emerged in my favorite color combinations; red/coral and blue/tq. Each painting is framed in a simple 2 inch wide gold frame. They are hanging in 7 Artists Key West.
Again with the glare. An old Peter, Paul and Mary refrain is running through my head
....when will they ever learn, when will they ev............er learn?
So I quess that is the lesson of the day:
1. Paint the painting
2. Photograph the painting
3. Varnish the painting
Another good reason for me to do it that way is because I frequently see things I want to change when I look at the photo. For example, in yesterday's painting I decided that the pink area of light behind the tree trunks needed a highlight. So I went back in and added it and then I had to re-varnish that area.
Live and learn
Have a great day.
Maggie
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I has been truly joyful to see all the different hearts on the blogs I follow. So, today I send mine out into cyberspace. I wish everyone a wonderful Valentine's Day, may you find your heart's desire.
The compostion of this painting breaks a lot of "rules". The inverted triangle shape created by the palms is almost smack dab in the middle of the canvas and the right palm is leaning and drawing the viewers eye out of the picture frame. I decided to emphasize the uneasy-ness of the palms by painting them in strong hot colors that are the opposite of the very plain and calm background. I find the tension between the foreground and the background visually compelling. Let's hope the gallery visitors think the same.
"Miriam's Meadow" is one of my revisionist landscape paintings. It was started on site in Miriam Good's meadow on Lower Sugarload Key in 2008 and then finished in the studio. I thought it was finished but there were areas that bothered me that I just didn't know what to do to correct them. Last Thursday our Sugarloaf painting group headed back to the site, so I took the painting out there and with Jim Salem's (our instructor) help I finished it. I added some more reflection in the water and I added some levels of interest in the area between the tree groupings. This painting is large 40" x 30" on canvas. I am going to put some edging strips on it tomorrow. I haven't decided whether it will go in 7 Artists or the Key West Art Center.
This week's glaze fire included some dip sets in a new star pattern. It is a sad but true fact that not everyone wants palm trees and tropical fruit on their serving pieces. In realization of that fact I am always searching for alternatives that don't include ducks and cows. I do a pattern called leaf and berry and now I am adding stars. But I had to include old standards in the firing, pineapples and papayas and coconuts with fronds.
These pieces are now in 7 Artists Key West, 604 Duval Street, Key West
"Always a far-away gaze"
"Le Bon Vivant" 
I have not made these 3-palm rectangle platters for some time. The bottoms have a tendency to bow upward as they dry so I really have to baby them. Because they always sell when I have them in stock, I decided to revist them. These came out very nice and I plan to make some more. To the left of them you see some giant flip flops. I have made pottery wall flip flops for many years but, I have always made them in real shoe sizes. I wanted to see what would happen if I took them extra large. They don't quiet work for me yet, but I think with a little tweaking they could be fun.
