"Sunshine on a Winter's Day", 8" x 10", Oil on Canvas PanelClick here to bid.

Click here to see how this painting was done!

It snowed last night! Not a lot but even a couple of inches can keep me stuck as my care doesn't have snow tires. Dumb, you say? Well, maybe, but it hardly snows here at all so it doesn't seem worth it to put out those dollars for one or two days per year. Anyway, I retreated to my studio and brought a little sunshine into it. Honestly, it's amazing how many different kinds of flowers are available in the supermarket these days! My husband got these at Costco, of all places.

I've just started a new blog, called "Susan's Musings and Painting Tips". As one of my first posts, I've put a step-by-step, photo by photo, of each stage of this painting. Thought it might be fun to share my technique a bit. Look for more of these kinds of posts in the future.

Floral Oil Painting of Hyacinth in Cut Glass Vase, 11" x 14" on Canvas Panel

"Hyacinth"Click here to bid.




I love painting these guys. No matter how you display them, they're always lovely. I plunked a bunch into a cut glass vase for this painting. There's tons of thick paint on these. It's so thick, as a matter of fact, the paint actually helps to create shadows on the canvas. Take a look at the detail.

Original Floral of Pink Peonies, Grapes and Silver Vase, 9" x 12" on Canvas Panel

"Peonies and Grapes"
SOLD

Just had time for this piece today. I was in the mood for Peonies and thought combining them with the silver vase would be interesting. I used to paint a lot of highly reflective objects and transaparent glass in pastels. I was using a very realistic technique. But over the past year or so, my technique - especially in oils, has changed. I rather like the way this came out but think I've a ways to go yet before I obtain the look I am striving for. What do you think?

Original Oil Painting of Asian Statue and Fruit, 12" x 12" on Canvas Panel

"Offerings II"
SOLD

I have a friend who owns lovely Asian things. She lent me this statue. I really enjoyed painting this piece and it shows. I put lovely thick paint on the statue in order to "sculpt" it. Take a look at the detail piece below. I especially like the way the objects reflect on the glass topped table. Enjoy.

Floral Oil Painting of a Persian Vase and Magnolias, 11" x 14" on Canvas Panel

"Magnolias and Persian Vase"
SOLD

A friend lent me this Persian vase. It really deserves more time than an Ala Prima Painting can give it, but here it is anyway. Still a pretty thing. The Magnolias seemed to fit right in. I put a floral tapestry under it and hung some behind also. I like the way the painting holds together. Hope you do too.

Floral Oil Painting of White Roses and Tangerines, 9" x 12" on Canvas Panel

"Roses and Clemintines"SOLD

Tangerines are one of the nicer things about Winter. I love their rich color and the way they glow in the light. I decided to place them with some roses to bring a hint of promise to the studio today. I haven't painted ala prima in a while so this was a bit of a challenge and warm up for me. The vase is a loaner from a friend. Enjoy.

Oil Figure of a Nude, 9" x 12" on Canvas Panel

"Black Lace"
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I have been painting a lot of figures lately. In part, this is because I participate in a figure drawing group every week. But mostly it's an outgrowth of my interest in portraits. This model is one of my favorites and most of you will recognize her. She has such a lovely back, that I had her turned away from me for this pose. I love the way the light plays on her. This is just a small study for a larger piece I plan to do. Thanks for looking.