Hydrangeas are in Bloom, A Work in Progress

 

Hydrangeas in Blue Vase

The hydrangeas are in bloom. As always, I'm seduced.  I'm also in mourning for my beautiful cobalt aquamarine vase that I have always used to paint hydrangeas.  I clumsily knocked it against an unforgiving object and cracked it.  Still in solid form I'm afraid to fill it with water less it shatter.  This vase is four sided and filled with various blues and reflections.  I found the shape to be more traditional but not as lovely as the cobalt sphere.  😢

 

The American Goldfinch and The Baltimore Oriole

 

                                       American Goldfinch, 2022, Oil on Panel, 8"x8"

Baltimore Oriole, 2022, Oil on Panel, 8"x8"

I'm in a bit of a painters block. As such I've resorted to old reliables.  I can get engaged just with the color.  

 

                        

 

 

A Jar of Nuthatches

 

A Jar of Nuthatches, 2022, Oil on Panel, 12"x24"

Usually a Nuthatch will be observed upside down on a tree trunk.  Sometimes one is even seen hanging upside down from a branch.  But as I wanted a Jar of them I opted to have them perching along a few branches posed in ways to show all aspects.  After much work I realized the composition was weak.  The 5 birds should have been placed lower in the frame.  So....one more bird in the lower left was added as well as more branches.  (see the previous video posting to see this progression)

A Jar, work in progress

Once again, I have begun a painting that doesn't work.  The first problem I spotted was the panel was too large.  Then, the birds were just too evenly spread.  And, although Nuthatches do hang upside down, that bird looked ridiculous with the other four. Finally, the ground was too insubstantial.  Take a look at the video to see where I am now with more adjustments needed.  

The Effects of Orange on Blue, 2022

The Effects of Orange on Blue, 2022, oil on panel, 24"x36"

The Effects of Orange on Blue

I began this still life about a month ago with the idea to set a few blue ceramic pieces against a dark ground.  I initially composed the piece very asymmetrically hoping for an atmospheric effect.  You can see in the video the various changes I made.  The asymmetry just did not work, nor did the large cobalt vase.  Oranges were changed out, hyacinths became daffodils and forsythia to balance the oranges.  The size of the glass cobalt vase decreased and increased.  At this point I believe I'm ready to settle in with finishing.  Oh, yellow is a bugger to use over indigo.  LOL 

Back in the Saddle Again

 

Toward the Horizon (WIP), 24"x36"

I've been away from my studio for 6 1/2 weeks in Imperial Beach and Mexico City.  The daily sunset show was so awesome and inspiring that I committed to producing a really large image rather than the small 6x12's I usually make.  This is hardly finished.  The water is only blocked in.  I need to bring oranges into it in order to keep a balance between sky and water.  Just to prove my inspiration below is the untouched photo.  

Imperial Beach, CA