"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.

"Sunlit Pears" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Sunlit Pears" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Pears are probably my favorite fruit to paint.  Because of their shape, they have great personality and attitude.  I always laugh at myself when I buy fruit since I'm constantly evaluating each piece as a potential model for a future painting...shape, color, does it sit nicely, etc.  Yes, it can complicate the shopping process immensely!

In this painting, I really let loose on the color.   My main goal was to show the bright sunlight illuminating the pears as they sat on the windowsill.  I laid down broad strokes of color and didn't fuss with it much at all.  So, what do you think?  Did I go too funky or do you like it?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

This painting is available for $60. If you are interested in purchasing it, you can do so in several ways:

1. Art on Main: For those who live in the Westford, MA area, visit Art on Main,

40 Main St, Westford, MA 01886

. We accept credit cards, checks and cash.

2. PayPal: For those who live far away, click the "Buy Now" button below to pay by Paypal/credit card. I will carefully pack and then ship the painting directly to your door.

3. Personal check or money order: If you're not a fan of paying online, I accept personal checks and money orders. Just send me an email (LaurieGMiller@gmail.com) and we'll work out the details.

"Blueberry Blues" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

Just before heading to Art on Main for my weekly shift at the gallery, I rummaged through my refrigerator for something to paint. The cupboard was pretty bare but I managed to find these blueberries. I set them up on a small white plate next to the window. Two of the blueberries still have a small stem so I flipped them over, stem-side up, to add a bit of interest. I guess it isn't quite blueberry season yet as these little guys didn't taste like much of anything.

Slices of Light - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

When looking for stuff to paint, I prefer to use natural light from a window instead of setting up a still life illuminated by a lamp. However, natural light changes quickly so you have very limited time to capture highlights and shadows before they change. As a result, I usually photograph my subject right away. I painted this during my gallery sitting time at Art on Main, so, before going to the gallery, I set up this arrangement at home, took a photograph, and then brought everything with me. Having the actual Clementine sections with me was extremely helpful in trying to capture the original feeling of the set up. They also became my snack at the end of the day :)

Ruby Red II - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

I enjoyed the previous grapefruit painting so much that I decided to tackle the same subject from a slightly different angle. This time, instead of blue, I toned my canvas with a wash of red. The end result is quite different with a much softer and “warmer” glow. The spoon was a challenge from that angle and I’m pretty pleased with the end result.

Ruby Red I - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

This is actually my 2nd attempt painting this set up. In my first try, I made the spoon too small. When I stood back, it seemed funky and out of proportion. That was actually a good reminder to periodically step back when I’m painting. It is amazing how I can be merrily painting along and things seem to be going well. Then , I'll cross the room to look from a distance and something will immediately jump out at me that is definitely out of kilter!

Clementine with Leaf - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

I had a really hard time thinking of a clever name for this painting and finally gave up and simply stated the obvious. Actually, I'm not even sure think this is a Clementine. If anyone knows what this fruit is, please let me know so I can rename my painting! I was particularly pleased with how the leaf came out. I think the key to success is to really study the subject and note the shapes and the subtle changes in color and value.

Life is a . . . 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

I had to look up the spelling of “maraschino” to write this post. I was surprised at how difficult these maraschino cherries were to paint (and to spell). Their liquid is very opaque so it is difficult to see the individual pieces. I used a bit of artist license and added in strokes of yellows and orange to add more interest to an otherwise solid block of red. As always, the height, placement and direction of the stems was very deliberate and is an important part of the composition.

Cup and Clementines - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

First of all, Happy to New Year to everyone. It felt good to put brush to canvas as I had taken a brief vacation from my palette. One of the best parts of the holidays is that clementines are in season. They are such a perfect fruit…easy to peel, easy to eat, sweet and delicious. I specifically picked a blue coffee cup for this still life to compliment the orange color of the clementines. Since it is such a simple subject, I wanted to add interest by making a reflection in the table top. I’m pleased with how it came out and think it is a good way to start off 2010…enjoy!

Limelight - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas

I stole these limes from a friend ... I’m not much of a lime fan and never buy them. For whatever reason, she had about a dozen leftover from Thanksgiving…. she mentioned something about Margaritas. I didn't realize that was traditional as I'm used to the basics: turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

In any case, I wanted a strong light source to show the translucence of the limes. I added subtle touches of yellow-orange here and there which add a nice, warm glow. I tried to keep my brush strokes loose and expressive and not get too bogged down with detail.

This 6 inch square painting is available for $60.  Click the Buy Now button below or click here for other payment options.

Overflow - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

I recently read a book on color theory by Betty Edwards. Betty talks about color choices and selecting colors that work well together. This painting uses primarily analogous colors…those that are next to each other on the color wheel...greens - blues and purples. I think this makes for a "quiet" painting. If I had added an object with a color like yellow, orange or red, it would have changed the entire feeling of the painting.

Follow the Leader - 6 x 6 - Oil on canvas - SOLD

I've never been a huge fan of blueberries. To me, eating them is a bit like playing Russian Roulette. You'll be eating along and tasting wonderful, sweet berries and then all of the sudden, when you least expect it, you bite into a really sour, mouth-puckering one. It can be very stressful :) Since blueberries are now considered a "super food", I've faced my "fear of the unexpected sour blueberry" and have taken to sprinkling them on my cereal. When I occasionally hit that sour one, it is at least tempered by the rest of the flavors in the bowl.

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.

Strawberry - 6 x 6 - Oil on canvas - SOLD

When I set up this simple still life, I thought it was going to be a quick and easy painting...wrong! The body of the strawberry went pretty smoothly, however, those leaves were a struggle! I ended up with an ugly mass of green. I was starting to regret that I positioned the strawberry to show the leafy crown. To fix the green mess, I had to really focus on each leaf and pay attention to its individual shape, color and value. As I worked methodically through the leaves, the top finally began to take shape.

No Peeking - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

I was in the mood for a food painting … my last one was the trio of pears that I did a couple months ago. After rummaging through my refrigerator, I settled on these nectarines. I started by covering my canvas with a bright green wash. After letting it dry, I completed my painting allowing the green color to shine through. This is a really simple painting but I love the color combination of the oranges, purples and greens. For those who remember the basics in art, these all secondary colors on the color wheel - created by mixing primary colors – red, yellow and blue. When coming up with the title, it seemed like they were about to play a game of hide and seek with one nectarine covering his 'eye'.

Trio - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

I recently hosted an oil painting workshop given by Carol Marine, a wonderful artist from Texas. When the workshop was over, students left their still life materials behind so I had a glut of fruits and vegetables sitting on my counter. This trio of pears was neatly lined up on my kitchen counter. I liked how they cast a shadow against the wall and left a reflection on my dark counter top. I painted this one in a slightly different style as I tried to keep my brushstrokes very loose and expressive.

Clementines, Peanuts & Garlic - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

This trio of pottery bowls (made by my sister Julie), sits on my kitchen counter. I didn't do much to change the composition from how I found it. I did, however, spend a long time figuring out the cropping and the viewing angle. In this case, I "zoomed in" to show a piece of each bowl. I wanted a mostly top-down view with part of the bowl sides showing so I could add a few reflections. To make the tan-colored peanuts more interesting, I accentuated the shadow color with hint of purple.

Undressed - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

I often cover my canvas with a layer of color before I start a painting. In this case, I started with a light blue undercoat. When I painted these clementines, I allowed some of the undercoat to shine through and create reflections on the wood table and the peels. I used a limited palette (mostly yellow/oranges, blues and browns) and think the combination is very effective and powerful.

Let's Huddle - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

I'm not great at arranging items into a composition. I prefer to stumble across a group of objects that catch my attention and then maybe manipulate them, just a bit, to enhance what was already there.

I spotted these pears (yes, they are fat, round pears, not apples) on my counter and thought they'd make a nice painting. I added a dish towel underneath for some added interest and color. I purposely included the bottom of the fallen pear...that dark dot at the base of the core...I'm not sure what this is called!?!?!? In any case, it seemed important to include that dark spot to help balance out the composition.