Flat Sound of Wooden Clogs

Revisiting old paintings

sharon — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:48:19 +0000

I came across a version of this painting that I did a couple of years ago when I was cleaning my office and decided to try it again, taking more care with lighting and adding a background to the new painting. Although I purchased the pears more than a week ago, I put off painting them until the last minute. Rotting fruit can be quite motivating.

Fantasy Birds

sharon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:14:57 +0000

A red-tailed hawk flew over my car today. The bright sunshine illuminated the red tail, which was spread wide. It was a lovely sight, and my painting inspiration for the day. These fantasy “birds” were painted using a palette knife, a great way to keep things loose.

I attempt batik

sharon — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:11:00 +0000

This is my first attempt at a batik watercolor painting, following the instructions on Empty Easel (http://emptyeasel.com/2011/12/13/the-fascinating-painting-technique-of-watercolor-batik/). It doesn’t look much like a batik. I don’t think I crinkled the paper vigorously enough. Perhaps I’ll give it another try tomorrow.

Winter berries…

sharon — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 20:13:32 +0000

The winter solstice will be here in a few days. The solstice marks the day of the year with the least hours of daylight for those living north of the Tropic of Cancer. Every day after December 22 will bring a bit more daylight… and to that I say, YEA!

December Carrots

sharon — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:53:41 +0000

Comfort

sharon — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:52:15 +0000

Wide toe box. Low heel. Great fit. These Keen shoes are the most comfortable walking shoes I’ve ever owned. I like them so much, I bought a second pair. I will be wearing them for a long, long time

Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium)

sharon — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:12:24 +0000

The state flower of Oregon has gnarly stems and sharp, prickly leaves, but the pretty blue berries are edible. The plant bears dainty yellow flowers in early summer and a dark blue berry that ripens in the fall.

Asian Eggplants

sharon — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:48:02 +0000

I bought these at the farmers market in Newport, Oregon last weekend. They’re only a few inches long.

So tiny, so cute…

Seeking Keat’s Nectarine…

sharon — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:03:19 +0000

“Talking of Pleasure, this moment I was writing with one hand, and with the other holding to my Mouth a Nectarine–good God how fine. It went down soft, pulpy, slushy, oozy–all its delicious embonpoint melted down my throat like a large Beatified strawberry.” - John Keats, in a letter to his friend Charles Wentworth Dilke

The best description of the wonderful lusciousness of a perfectly ripe nectarine or peach I’ve ever read.

And in case you’re wondering, here’s the definition of embonpoint:

embonpoint French noun: plumpness or stoutness, adj: plump; stout [from phrase en bon point in good condition]

Absence sometimes does make the heart grow fonder…

sharon — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:31:00 +0000

I painted these persimmons last fall but I couldn’t get them to look quite the way I wanted. Frustrated, I put the painting away in a cabinet. I came across it today when I was organizing my painting space…and was pleasantly surprised at how much the painting had improved during the past six months.