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.

Stony Brook - 6 x 6 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

This is another small painting done on location in the great outdoors. This vista is actually just to the left of the rusty railroad bridge that I painted and posted back in March 2009 (click this link to see what I'm talking about: http://lauriegmiller.blogspot.com/2009/03/weight-limit-3-tons-12-x-12-inches-oil.html). There was no wind so the water was like a mirror making a perfect reflection of the trees and sky.

Carlisle Bog - 6 x 6 - Oil on canvas

I recently bought an "OpenBox M" painting box (see below) so that I can easily pack up and travel to any location to paint "en plein air". I squeeze out my paints in the bottom of the box and the lid has an adjustable, spring-loaded clamp to hold a canvas. The box is easily attached to a tripod to make a perfect easel with attached palette. Last week, I took advantage of a glorious sunny day and went to the cranberry bog in Carlisle, MA. For a couple hours, I painted in the shade of a huge oak tree and enjoyed a cool breeze, the sound of birds chirping, and a beautiful view.

Shortcake Line Up - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

Every year in June, the "Strawberry and Arts" Festival is held on the Westford common. Artists set up tents to sell jewelry, paintings, toys and other hand crafted items. Throughout the day, the crowds are treated to live music by local musicians. Probably the main attraction is the strawberry shortcake. For five dollars, you get a large serving, a dollop of whipped cream and a glass of lemonade. In this painting, I tried to convey a sense of the bustling activity and the overall feeling of the festival...always a fun afternoon to browse, people watch and enjoy some sweet treats.

Panda - Oil on canvas - 12 x 12 inches

This painting is based on a photo taken by my daughter. I love that it tells a story. The cat, Panda, spends his mornings lusting after squirrels. Unfortunately for Panda, he's an indoor cat and can only dream of the possibilities. The squirrel seems to enjoy his position of power over this helpless cat.

Onion Trio - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

Onions make an interesting subject to paint. They come in a nice variety of shapes and a wide range of colors…whites, yellows, oranges, reds and purples. I wanted to capture the papery and translucent nature of the skin so I used thin layers (or glazes) of paint starting with light colors and then gradually adding deeper colors to create the round forms. The knife adds an element of interest and creates some tension. It almost looks like the three onions are “looking” at the knife and wondering, “What’s that?”

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'.

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

When visiting my sister a few weeks ago, I snapped a bunch of photos of her cat, Jeter. He was playing with a bug and I tried to get a good shot of him with his paw extended but never got exactly what I was looking for. When I looked through my photos, I liked this top-down view. I added the yarn as a matter of interest as I thought the painting needed something else in the composition. I tried to capture his beautiful coat which has many shades of grey, black and brown. I would like to say that Jeter enjoyed our visit but I think he was relieved when we made our exit at the end of the day. Julie probably was too.

Blue Bird - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

These objects sit on my kitchen window sill. Illuminated with strong afternoon sunlight, they made a perfect subject to paint. The small glass is holding some flowers presented to me on Mothers Day by my daughter (along with a hearty breakfast). I bought the blue ceramic bird in France five years ago and keep it inside a small pottery bowl made by my sister. It fits perfectly and looks like a cozy nest. The pot, a new addition to my windowsill, is filled with chives that I dug from my garden.

The background foliage was a challenge to paint. I wanted to simply indicate the leaves and branches. Showing too much detail would have competed with the foreground objects. I was pleased with the final result but it took quite a bit of painting, wiping and then painting again.

The Painter - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

You don't realize how large the Parish Center for the Arts (PCA) is until you see someone right against the building to put it all in perspective. Just look how this painter, who is probably 6 feet tall, is dwarfed by these massive windows. The stained glass was a bit of a challenge. I had to tone down the color and subdue the details to help keep the focus on the figure. I also wanted to "suggest" the clapboards but not draw in every detail so you see the occasional horizontal line running across the canvas. I'm always struck by how many decisions it takes to create a painting...sometimes it just hurts my brain.

Below is a photo of the PCA taken several years ago. The painter was working on the left between the two large windows.

Me and My Shadow - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

As I was walking our dog Cooper, I was inspired by the strong cast shadows and figured it would make an interesting painting. Having my camera handy, I took photos for the rest of our walk (which must have looked pretty strange). Our walk was fairly late in the day so the shadows were actually very long. I had to shorten and modify the shadows to get the look that I wanted. I debated about adding more details to the ground such as the sidewalk, grass, etc. In the end, I really liked the simplicity of just the dog, leash, and shadows.

Think Pink - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

I was looking for a subject to paint and asked a friend to set up a still life using any combination of objects. She had just purchased some beautiful pink tulips and used them to come up with this arrangement. The cloth, with all of its folds and wrinkles was challenging as I don't have a lot of experience painting fabric. I really like the little ceramic bunny as it catches the strong light from the window.

Bathing Beauties - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

These ladies were wading in the shallow waters at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, MA. This particular scene actually included much more…large rocks, a lighhouse in the distance, boats, etc. I could have "panned" out to include them but really wanted to focus on this trio and the beautiful reflections created in the water in front of them.

SAVE THE DATE! On another note, it's official: The opening reception for my show is the evening of Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford, MA. (www.westford.com/pca). I haven't decided on the exact time but everyone will get an official invitation as the time approaches. All 50 paintings (along with a few other goodies) will go on sale when the show is hung on October 1st.

The Concert - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

The challenge of this painting was fitting so much stuff onto a small canvas. I wanted to keep the figures in the foreground fairly dark to emphasize the light on the stage. However, I didn't want to go too dark and lose all the details of their clothing, hair, etc. I had to include the theatre lights at the top of the painting to help balance out the composition.

Some paintings are easy to title. For this one, I debated between "Quintet" and "The Concert". I chose the latter since the painting is really about the entire experience of attending a performance and not really focused on the specific entertainment. Any thoughts on a better title?

Graniteville Foundry - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

I can easily find beauty in an industrial area that might contain dilapidated buildings, rusty machines and other assorted goodies. I was initially inspired by the light green building that contrasts with the tall red tower. This painting is really all about the shapes created by the awning, the stairs, the pipes and all the other elements. I love the subtle shades of greens, reds and grays.

Tic-Tac-Toe - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

I think acorns are adorable. They have tremendous personality with their chunky bodies and oversized hats. If you look closely, they're all slightly different - some are almost square with a flat bottom while others are more sleek and rounded. Their colors also vary from a light tan to a deep, almost purplish, brown. As with most paintings, the shadows are incredibly important for both the composition and for creating depth.

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.

Dreamy Day - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

This painting is very loosely based on some reference photos of Plum Island. I basically just let the paint flow and tried to create a simple and peaceful scene. A note about painting skies: if you look at the sky on a bright and sunny day, you'll notice that the color overhead is a very deep and rich blue. If you look towards the horizon, the blue becomes lighter and grayer. This also holds true for any object - colors are brighter and richer in the foreground but fade to a grayer (less saturated) color in the background.

Open Wide - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas - SOLD

Apparently, inspiration comes at strange times and in strange places. I was having a tooth prepped for a crown, and looked up at my dentist, Dr. Martin, peering into my mouth and thought, "this would make a cool painting". After he finished, I asked him to pose so that I could get a few reference photos. He graciously put back on his mask, glasses, gloves etc. and peered into my camera. Like many of my paintings, I used pieces of several photos to design the composition. I liked his hand position in one photo and the angle of his head in another. I added the light in the background by referring to some photos I found on the internet.


On another note, I was flattered to receive 1st place in the Westford Regional Art Event 2009 in the Professional/Experienced - Oil/Acrylic category. My painting, "Morning" was picked from almost 50 works from some artists that I really respect and admire. I'm truly humbled to have received this honor. Below is a photo of my winning entry along with a photo of the show - check out the magnificent paper sculpture of a magnolia tree in the center of the room. The buildling was filled with almost 500 pieces of art!

Weight Limit 3 Tons - 12 x 12 inches - Oil on canvas

I occasionally pass under this rusty, narrow railroad bridge. There are actually a lot of electrical and telephone wires that run across this roadway that I was initially going to include in the composition. In the end, I settled on a closer, more cropped view. On this winter day, the scene was rather dull and drab. So, using some artistic license, I added interest with shades of pink, blue and other variations of gray.