"Two Out One In" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Two Out One In" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

Cherries, with their shiny reflections, are one of my favorite subjects to paint.  I also love to place them on a window sill to create strong, interesting shadows.  I spent a fair amount of time thinking about and then adjusting the curve and movement of the stems.  This arrangement creates a nice circular flow and brings all three cherries together.

This 8 inch square painting is available for $95.  Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options. 

"Tipsy" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Tipsy" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Last Saturday, I sat outside Art on Main and gave an oil painting demo.  Our gallery is just down the street from the Westford Common -- folks were parking all along Main Street on their way to the annual "Strawberry 'n Arts" festival.  The weather could not have been more glorious!   I was really happy to sit outside and paint for a couple hours.


I started with a bright yellow background knowing that a good portion of my canvas would be covered in a purple shadow.  I paid particular attention to the reflections and shadows on the shiny red cherries...one of my favorite subjects to paint.

"Cherry Line Dance' - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Cherry Line Dance" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

It's that time of year again when cherries are in season.  I had a hard time saving a few cherries for my still life and couldn't resist eating them after the painting was finished ... I usually avoid eating my models if they've been hanging out with oil paints.  So delicious!

The Chaperone - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

This painting is unusual in that I actually thought of the title before I started painting. I lined up these cherries on the windowsill. I put the two smaller ones touching with their stems crossed and the larger one “looking” over them. The title just seems like a natural fit! I tried to keep this painting very loose and expressive and not get bogged down with too many details.

Cherries Jubilee - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

It's always interesting to look and really study something. If I didn't paint these cherries, I probably wouldn't have noticed how incredibly shiny they are...almost like glass marbles. When setting up this composition, I tried to follow the basic rule of good composition - "create variation in all aspects of the design". So, the gaps between the cherries are all slightly different, each cherry is in a slightly different position, the stems are all different, the top surface is a smaller width than the front, etc, etc. And, even though there are large, solid areas of color, these also contain subtle changes in color as well.

Summer Crowds - Oil on canvas - 12 x 12 inches

I haven't posted for over a week as we had an ice storm that crippled much of New England. Unfortunately, I was without power for 6 days! I've had electricity for less than 48 hours and we're now in the midst of a major snowstorm. I figured I'd better update this blog before I lose power again :)

I was getting ready to post this painting and noticed that I didn't have a shadow under the most prominent cherry stem. I don't know how I could have missed it the first time around. Most artists have an excellent eye with the ability to see shapes, values and colors easily. However, it is easy to become blind to your own work. For that reason, I almost always ask someone to critique my work. My kids are my best critics. I've modified many paintings based on their suggestions. Another trick is to put a painting away for a few weeks ... the next time you see it, you'll have fresh eyes.