Onions, 7x5 Oil Painting on Canvas Panel Still Life

 $75

The Challenge for this month for the Pieces of 8 group is to paint a painting in 50 strokes. I've been enjoying that exercise. Below is my 50-stroke painting of these onions, smudges and all. I decided to refine it to a finished painting. Which one do you like best? I think the 50-stroke one is more exciting. 

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Oil on Canvas, Euphorbia Francoisii Caudiform Succulent Plant Painting 11x14

$195 Click to Buy

Euphorbia francoisii, a small caudiciform succulent from Madagascar, has the most variable leaves in the plant kingdom. No two plants have the exact same leaf shape or color, even if they are clones. The new leaves emerge as new shapes and colors, completely unpredictable! Some plants will have several different leaf shapes, sizes and colors all on one plant! So weird. This plant is on the critically endangered list.

I will be painting more from the exotic world of succulents. They are some of the most interesting plants on Earth. For the real thing, check out Paradise Found Nursery.

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Succulent, 4x5 Daily Painting, Oil Painting on Canvas

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This is a very old painting, circa 2009, just a quick little miniature. I was reminded of it when my niece, who has a wonderful nursery, brought me a lot of very beautiful and unusual succulents at Christmas. A lot of them have fantastical blooms, so I'll be glad to see those when Spring arrives. Below is a picture of one of her Huernias, a genus from Eastern and Southern Africa. This one is called Elvis. See more at Paradise Found Nursery online.

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SALE: 20% Off, Oil Painting Still Life, Radish Bouquet, 6x8 Oil on Canvas Panel

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I'm offering this little still life for 20 percent off and free shipping. I love free shipping, don't you? Most of my original oil paintings are on sale until December 20. 

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Onion, 5x7 Oil on Board, Still Life Daily Painting

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Sometimes the simplest things are my favorites. I like the brushstrokes and the colors in this little painting.

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Still Life, Radish Bouquet, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel

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This would be such a nice picture in a kitchen. Radishes are such colorful vegetables, they beg to be painted. 

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Red Grapes, 5x7 Still Life Oil on Panel

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This Spring weather just makes me want to be outside. I think it's time for some plein air painting. We don't have a very extreme "change of season" here in Florida, but my yard certainly comes to life. I have one Frangipani tree with leaves and no blooms, and a huge one with blooms and no leaves. Very odd. 

Been thinking of new challenges for the Pieces of 8 painting group. How about ten-minute plein air paintings? That sounds hard. Just what we need!

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Ten-Minute Paintings, 5x7 Oil on Panel Still Life

I've been doing lots of practice paintings to loosen up; first, 30-minute ones, then ten-minute ones. As I previously mentioned, my painting group did ten-minute exercises the last time we met, and it was a lot of fun.

I also did a yellow pear, and I'm not showing that one. Ick. It was, however, delicious.

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Tall Cup, 5x7 Oil on Canvas Still Life

So I digressed from my ten-minute paintings and did this one. I like it a lot less than the ten-minute one. I think I was, as Elio Camacho would say, "licking the paint." I must strike the happy medium between loose-goosey and licking the paint. And, as Richard Schmid says, have someone stand by to hit me over the head with a hammer when it's time to stop.

Going plein air painting today with the Pieces of 8. Sheer, unmitigated joy!

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Beets, 8x6 Oil on Canvas Panel, Still Life on Purple

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My husband and I had a little getaway this weekend, to South Florida. We stopped off at Palm Beach's Worth Avenue, which I call Net Worth Avenue. That area has the largest concentration of billionaires on Earth, according to the hype. It certainly has the largest concentration of Bentleys. They were everywhere.

Worth Avenue ends at the beach, and it is a very beautiful beach at that. The water was gorgeous-- blue and turquoise--and I got some good photos there and in Ft. Lauderdale. I'll be doing some beach paintings soon.

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Radish Bouquet, 8x6 Oil Painting on Canvas

$89.00, Click to Purchase

Don't you think radishes have a personality? They are striking in color and nice little calligraphic roots at the bottoms to enhance a painting. It is a pleasure to paint radishes.

I was reading the latest post from Robert Genn's website, this one written by his daughter Sara. Robert is a talented and successful artist who is suffering from cancer. Many of us artists have followed his writings for many years. His daughter Sara is writing quite a bit in his place, and this week she wrote about 11 Steps for an artist, which struck a chord with me. Here is the link: http://clicks.robertgenn.com/eleven-steps.php