Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

10 x 8 Oil on Board I love painting the complementary palette......the orange just pops in this one. This is one of the times when you need to paint from life as the elispe is very important to get correct.  Of course I got to eat the orange after I finished, but it was a little dried out!

8" x 10" Oil on Board This painting proves you need to paint from life! I sat this still life up in the Pumfrey's afternoon class....I love all the reflections in  the silver bowl.....I've been studying a DVD by Patricia Moran. She doesn't draw the subject on the surface, she blocks in masses of color......as soft as you can for as long as you can. I've learned sooooo much, about getting a good start that will create a great finish.......the ampersand gessoed board that I have been using makes the brush strokes show without using a great amount of paint.

10" x 8 " oil on Board I put this up in the studio just because I didn't like something about it....it didn't feel right!  Guess What! The sides were off, so in class Wednesday afternoon I corrected the pitcher and now I know it's finished!

8" x 10" Oil on Panel I set this still life up in the Pumfrey's oil class at the Beach Art Center.  The past couple of weeks I have been painting on canvas, but the texture of the canvas make the brush drag and I don't get those loose impressionist strokes.  The gesso panels are wonderful, they let you lay down one stroke and the brush hairs show.  I use a soft synthetic flat brush.  The small detail is done with a small round synthetic brush.

12" x 12" Oil on Canvas Painting in the impressionist style is soooooooo much FUN!  I've been studying William Schultz, Brackman, Frederick Carl Frieseke and my all time favorite  Frank W. Benson all American impressionist.  I have discovered that they all talk about " The Mechanics of Painting"  the 5 Steps that Jerry Fresia uses.  Each having a different twist.

Fall Pear Oil 8" x 10" Class Project Dan Edmondson This painting for me was all about mixing those fall colors of yellows, reds and oranges.  I had to add a couple of layers of paint to get the bright colors.  I still haven't got the lighting worked out in the studio....but it felt great being back in the class.  Looking forward to painting with Judy & Larry on Wednesday....Life is Good Happiness flourishes in the secret garden of our Soul... George Eliot (aka Mary Anne Evans)

Oranges & Grapes This is my first project in the still life workshop of Daniel Edmondson....I sent it off for critique this morning.....I'm not real happy with the leaves, but we will see! 

Still Life Set Up When setting up a still life I usually take a picture, this give me a different view.  If I'm not sure if the design looks good, I look at it upside down on my camera or look at it with a mirror.  I've heard many teachers say it really is about design and/or composition. The Sketch with Brush I usually sketch the design with a #4 filbert brush and a little burnt sienna diluted with turp.   If you sketch with this method it is very easy to correct mistakes.  I also use a view finder.  Scumbling the darks and mid tones. Three Apples 8" x 10" oil on canvas board.  

Watercolor 11" x 14" on Paper with Tissue Paper I did this while we were in Florida........I'll be teaching this project at the HOOT (Heart of Ohio Tole) Convention in August.......the class is almost full! So if you want to join us, get going and send in your registration. This is a really fun project....you first paint the local color then add tissue paper with Mat Medium....let dry and finish painting.......the nice thing about tissue paper and mat medium is the color will life, so those mistakes can easily be fix!

Click Here to Place Your Bid 6" x 6" oil on canvas board Painted this one at class on Tuesday......what a fun class!!! I'm getting ready for the "Lancaster Art Walk" Friday, July 18th.......hope to see a few of you there!!!!

Click Here to Bid 10" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board Susan Carlin wanted me to talk about the "glow" around the objects in my recent still lives. I've been studying Gregg Kreutz book Problem Solving for oil Painters, he says: To keep a picture from looking static there must be a sense of the light increasing and decreasing in intensity throughout. The light area of each object must contain a lighter and a darker part, and the picture as a whole should have a sense of orchestration from either dark to light or light to dark. As in this painting, I've added a lighter value (white, yellow or orange) into the background mix going around the objects in the painting. If you look at artist that work in the "Chiaroscuro Style" such as David A. Leffel or J Legg they always have a glow around their subject matter. I've always loved "Chiaroscuro Style", but never tried to paint that way, but the last few paintings have been so much fun I think I...

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Board I worked on this one for a couple of days....I like working with the "Chiaroscuro Style" it's truly a big challenge to get the light traveling across the painting. My lighting is still not quite up to par....but when you live in the woods the north light is hard to find!

14"x10" Oil On Masonite I'm not completely happy with this one, but I like the reflections on the table.....I have to keep reminding myself these are the exercises for learning!

5"x7" Oil on Board I love painting these Habanero Peppers, reproducing the shapes with the shadows were a challenge. I moved things around in the studio to get a better light for my still lives. I've been studying Gregg Kreutz book Problem Solving for the Oil Painter.....I just love that "Chiaroscuro Style" of the light traveling across your still live.

6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Panel This is the third in the series......I hope to have time to do a couple more....just love my new green bowl.

6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Panel

Click here to place a bid on ebay. 6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Panel The cherries were a real challenge.......getting that transparent glow of the skin took about three wipe offs! Sometimes you just have to walk away for a few hours, I ended up working on this one the yesterday morning.

Click here to place your bid on ebay 6" x 6" Oil on Gesso Panel With the price of produce this was an expensive still life........the cherries were $6.99 a pound! These babies need to last a few days. I love the blue green with the red orange .......

6"x6" Oil on Panel Since I was in the citrus mood, I decided to paint orange slices on a plate. I just love this plate it came with a little cup, which is also square. I love the abstract element in this one. Plus the wonderful reflection in the shadow on the plate.

6"x6" Oil On Panel This is the last one in the series, the lemons are looking so bad! Also I didn't want to spend $1.99 for 3!!!!!! I love the reflections on the B&W Tile....it really was a learning experience...I had to use black paint and the yellow/orange keep getting muddy.....