Highbush Blueberry in Winter

Highbush Blueberry, Winter, 2011, 34" x 24", Oil on Board

Highbush Blue Berry in Winter, 2014, 34"x24", Oil on Board

Blue is not necessarily the coolest color.  After recently seeing Childe Hassam's painting of Boston Common at Twilight I realized that I was going about this painting all wrong.  The blue just simply wasn't making the orange tree pop like it should.  

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms, 10"x10", Oil on Board

The cherry blossoms have now all fallen to the ground, replaced by tender green leaves.  The lilacs are in full bloom as are the Kousa dogwood.  And I have a blank canvas waiting for my decision.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms, 12" x 12", Oil on Board

I've opened up the composition by adding some sky.  The lower left seemed a bit heavy and pulled the eye too much.  

Cherry Tree

Cherry Blossoms, 12" x 12", Oil on Board

I've been thinking a lot about Vermeer; how he had an assistant to grind his paints.  I found an old tube of Rose Madder which was complete dried out.  With a little linseed oil and palette knife work, I've been able to use it.  

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms, 12" x 12", Oil on Board

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms, 12" x 12", Oil on Board

In a nod to spring and the Cherry Blossom Festival of DC, today I began a small painting of cherry blossoms.

Geraniums Redux

I've chosen once more to revisit a finished painting.  When I completed this last fall, I asked several people if they understood the context of the geraniums.  Or, if they were bothered by not knowing where the viewer was.  Since there were no objections to the composition or point of view, I considered it complete.  When I checked later at the gallery, the feed back had been that viewers questioned the setting asking why the landscape was behind the geraniums.  With it sitting in the gallery unsold for over 6 months, I brought it home to reconsider.