Carrots Complete, onto Clouds and Wall

Carrots (detail)

Carrots on a Dedham Dish

Carrots

This little batch of carrots was purchased from our local IGA in Marshall, VA, specifically because one of the carrots looked like a little figure with legs, as the bottom of the root was divided. There it was, tethered to all the other "normal," less evolved, carrots. 

Sometimes I just want to leave the painting at this stage, as a drawing with wash.

Bundle of Carrots on a Dedham Dish

Pear and landscape paintings

Working on a large scale piece and small scale piece in water media on paper. "Landscape with Clouds" is progressing slowly and has many layers, translucent and opaque.

Landscape with Clouds (20" x 28", watercolor and gouache - unfinished)

The small watercolor of pears was drawn lightly in pencil and then loosely painted in watercolor washes, with more precise brushwork toward the finish. As the light changed, the painting changed. The pears had a luminous, pale green that glowed in the early morning light, intense against the warm and rosy tablecloth. For three mornings, I looked at the pears in the morning light and thought about starting a painting.

My initial response was to the stark contrast of light and shadow, the light defining parts of the forms. I envisioned a Caravaggesque painting, with strong chiaroscuro. But, while painting, the subject opened up in radiant color, and quashed the preconceptions.

Pears in a Dedham Dish (7" x 10", watercolor)

Detail of the above watercolor

Jan 22, 2012, drawings on Ipad

Drawings are posted from last to first, so the final drawing is at the top:

Ice-pad drawings

Quick Ipad drawings at the skating rink earlier this morning:

Mushrooms

A few more photos...wc and drawings in the works, tbpl

Cows and an almost full wolf-moon

Vultures in Upperville

Light of sunrise

Snow on a dogwood

re: the photos for holiday cards that haven't been sent yet

Season's Greetings 2011 cards, printed in sepia because it felt like a vintage holiday.

If you receive a hard copy card, it means I:

 - gave up some painting time for you

- found your address on one of those little bits of paper I swear I'm going to organize and enter in my computer address book

-finally figured out how to prioritize my to-do list

-didn't get distracted by the clouds, birds, financial crises, border collies, daughters, etc.

-neglected my blog for another week or so

Vertical Snow on Trees

The Antler Tree

Wall, Snow, Trees

Rock Outcropping

Back to the Sky

Back to sky and cloud photos and hopefully, if it's not too snowy or frigid tomorrow morning, watercolors and drawings:

cloud formations around 5 p.m. this evening

a flock and a herd and a colorful morning sky, around 7:45 a.m.