I Am Going To Have To Stop Predicting When A Piece Will Be Finished

 The closer I get to finishing a piece, the more I find little places that need work. Case in point: the Banana Cream Pie painting, which needed me to go over the plate with more graduated color, and some of the background. And it's drying now, but it still needs highlights.

 

Banana Cream Pie, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)  

And I did glaze over the wooden tabletop with Alizarin, and it did look very rich and deep, but when it dried a bit I realized it was too dark. So I've wiped away some of the glaze.

Two Spoons, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Today I'm working on a large personal piece, so I won't get to post until tomorrow at the earliest.

Clouds And Sun

 Moving along slowly on the clouds; added some midtone greens to the vines.

     868 Estate Winery, Virginia Vineyard Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view) 

A Little Clean Up

Some of the areas on the lower right side just need to be cleaned up, so I've started working on them. 

 

For Rent, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

I May Have Gone Overboard On The Highlights

 I put some more highlights on the face, as it was hard to separate from the background, but I might have gone too far. There are several places (mostly on the window panes) that need work on the edges, and I think I should pull out some highlights on the hair strands. The hair, right now, is just a big dark blob. Some auburn highlights would be nice, and would work well with the pale peach of the sky.

 

The Promise Of Evening,  © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Meanwhile: since I had the green/ochre palette ready, I made a few changes to the foreground.

Variations On A Theme #2a,  © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

 

Getting Sloshy With The Paint

 I love these initial sessions where I get to just slap the paint on the underlayers. There are so many different greens in this one, it'll be fun to pull it all together.

 Veramar Vineyard, Virginia Vineyard Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)  

More Landscape

 I find that the landscapes are more relaxing to work on these days. Added a lot of color to this, mostly ochres and shades of green. The water will eventually have a lot more color, too; the river is shallow in the foreground and there are some rich reds and violets in it.

A Bend In The Green River, Postcards Series #13, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

Clouds

 Mostly painted the clouds; added some greens to the vines and grass but not sure the color's not too bright. It's starting to take shape, though.

    868 Estate Winery, Virginia Vineyard Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view) 

Wood Grain

 Finished the wood grain this morning (I think); it'll probably look better once the finishing coat of varnish is applied. In the meantime, I need to work on the plate and its contents.

Two Spoons, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view) 

A Lazy Monday

 Well, I shouldn't really say "lazy," as I've spent the bulk of the day on technical issues; moving files between computers, removing files to create space as my old computer's hard drive is completely full and it's acting cranky... no matter what I do though there seem to be mysterious files somewhere that keep clogging it up. But I did get some work done on the marble tabletop in the painting below:

Banana Cream Pie, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Might be done at the end of the week.

Out In The Country

 I'd love to be out in the country right now. But I can work on the vineyard series in the meantime, and it's very soothing.

 

    868 Estate Winery, Virginia Vineyard Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)  

 

 

Veramar Vineyard, Virginia Vineyard Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)  

Three More Sessions

This piece is drying now— I brightened up the face after realizing it should stand out more from the background, and it is, after all, the focal point of the painting. Also worked on the window frames. I think there's only about three more sessions worth of work, mostly on the windows and the sheer curtains.

 The Promise Of Evening,  © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

The Madness Of Painting Decorative Rings on Plates

 Yessir, painting these stupid rings is no fun, no fun at all. God help me if I ever photograph another dessert that's so beautiful I have to paint it, rings and all. 

Thankfully, these are close to being done. A few more sessions and they'll be finished. As I look around the studio, I realize it's possible I might finish 9 more pieces before the end of the year.

Banana Cream Pie, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

 

 

Ile Flottante, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Moving on, I painted many many lines on this one earlier today; in the photo the wood has a sort of cherry color, so I've got to remember to float a glaze of Alizarin over it at some point.

Two Spoons, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

And the highlight is done on this one:

 

Strawberry Shortcake, Guilty Pleasures Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)

Another Fresh Start

I'm trying to concentrate on a few of the series that are pretty far along. I think the vineyard series still needs a few more paintings, but what with the pandemic and all, I can't get out to any wineries to take photos, so I'll apply myself to this one and the 868 Estate painting. 

 This image is from a trip last autumn. Overall, it needs to be a bit warmer, but this is the initial paint application.

Veramar Vineyard, Virginia Vineyard Series, © 2020, work in progress (click on image for larger view)