Under the Live Oaks

 We set up one peaceful day at Ft. Fisher State Park, near the ocean in NC and I drew the live oaks above. The next day we set up again in their shade and I painted the other direction.  It was during a heat wave, but the ocean breeze and the shade made it pleasant. I was bitten by fire ants, but my cold stainless steel water bottle eased the pain. We inadvertently chose a special event day and we became another attraction, but I can focus. What made it Extreme Plein Air Painting was the civil war cannon they fired without warning every 40 minutes or so that made me jump out of my skin every time.

Love

11" x 14" oil on board, painted alla prima in natural window light.

Winter Morning Light

I painted this from observation of a still life set up by a window that had strong morning light. If any of you are fans of Crate and Barrel design aesthetics, you can appreciate how I couldn't help but buy that little green creamer from the Chicago store...and the modern white pitcher and creamer in the painting below, and a gravy boat, and a little turquoise bowl and a yellow hand juicer, and a couple gorgeous hand towels....  9" x 12" oil on board.

Two New Still Lifes

 Both of these are alla prima from observation of still lifes by a large window. The top was a sunny winter afternoon. The bottom was an overcast afternoon, actually New Years Eve. Clementines are fun to paint. They are not actually round and they can glow, illuminating with an orange light. The top image background was a white wall in shadow. But there is a yellow couch by the window, bouncing yellow into the wall in shadow.  Nice effect.   Both are oil on panel, 8" x 8".

The legend of St. Nicholas includes the belief that he mysteriously provided a gold ball in the stocking hanging by the fire of the home of a poor man who was about to lose a daughter to slavery if he could not come up with a dowry for her to marry. He had three daughters, and received a gold ball as each neared the time to marry. This explains the tradition of oranges in stockings or in holiday decorations.