Dark backgrounds

Getting back to painting class when I can. It inspires me and makes me feel like I'm learning, progressing. And it's fun too.
We've been practicing putting in dark backgrounds.
I have trouble getting darks that are dark enough and interesting.

Salvage

Cleaning out my flat files, I found a couple of old, unfinished paintings that I thought I might be able to salvage despite their problems because there were passages in each that I liked.
Generally I don't like to work too hard on anything because I can't keep the " work" part from showing.
These still arent, and will never be, the best, but I'm happier with them now.

Trumpet vine

Fourth of July weekend turned into Fourth of July week.
Did a little painting... These are trumpet vines I picked in an empty lot. I have a large vine in my yard, but it has never produced flowers!

Summer flowers

Had an unusual weather event here this week: a microburst, which, if I understand correctly, is a small area of dangerously high winds. My back neighbor's maple blew over into my yard; another neighbor's cedar was struck by lightning! I was lucky: my insanely huge and close to the house elm was unscathed.
Lost some deck furniture, and some deck, but otherwise, all's well.
Getting my exercise these last days seeing and hauling broken tree limbs.
A few flowers here and there in the yard.
Hoping to paint the lilies before there all done.

wanted: inspiration

(9x12)
I haven't had much time, or, more accurately, haven't made time, to paint lately. I've had a lot of work to do--and maybe have been too left-brain oriented.

After the complexity of the fishing boats, I was looking for something simpler, and thought of my favorite still life painter, Giorgio Morandi. I'd never tried to imitate his clustering of simple, matte (often ambiguous) objects at eye level ...
It's not so easy to make something so simple pleasing: after this first attempt it seems to me what's important is 1) to have some kind of tension, in the objects or the negative space, and 2) the quality of the paint. I've missed it on both counts, but that's okay because I'll try again.
One thing I have to get are some matter, or opaque, objects! It seems I have a mania for colored glass. (4x4)
Also, and this is turning out to be way too anxiety producing: I'm trying to prepare for a Ted Nuttall workshop next month. He wants us to come to the workshop with our drawing already done, which is a great idea--no missing out on painting time while you struggle to get the nose right. But I'm having a hard time finding the "right" sort of pictures--ones that are interesting to me and paintable!
I started this poor girl, below ... The lighting is very dramatic, which is helpful! I have to remember, when painting people, NO BLUE ... at least not a lot and not right away. (And, thanks to Frank's comment, I've reconsidered this and will amend it to: not so much blue?) But you know I go right in there with the blue!

 
(10x15)

Since I posted awhile about my little rolling painting table, I have been trying to find someplace that sells them, and I finally it in Daniel Smith's recent catalog, if you're interested.

painting with mike

 
(6x9)

 
(6x9)
 Weds. I went up the road to visit my dear good friends Mike and Lisa, both of whom do all kinds of things, and do them well. Mike is adding watercolor painting to his list of accomplishments. We were going to paint together on our sailing trip; turned out I couldn't go, but Mike painted anyway, for which I applaud him--it's hard to sit down and paint on vacation when no one else is doing it, and he made some beautiful paintings (which I'll post here when I get his permission).
We set up a couple of simple still lifes and finally managed to paint a little yesterday and today.
Below are Mike's paintings. Aren't they great? I love his watermelon, and the peaches and cherries are so rich and dark. The whole painting has Chinese feeling to it.

 
(9x12)

Mike painted these next two on a little pad of Sennelier paper that I brought along--he's been painting on lightweight paper, which, you know, can be a struggle. I love the color of his corn and tomato and the garlic bulb is just great.
Mike has beginner's mind and just works with what he has--I don't think he even has ultramarine blue!--It makes me wish I were a beginner again.

 

(4x6)

And here's a portrait of the reason we didn't get even more painting done.

(6x9)
Having some difficulty uploading this image to the post it belongs in, below ... so, in frustration, my inelegant solution: a new post.

an oldie

(22x30)
This is a painting I did in the still life group I belonged to; we broke up two years ago this week when our teacher and mentor, Carolyn Howard, died.
All of the objects pictured here, except the electrical-thingy on the far left, were Carolyn's. I love the fluted vase, second from right, and the curly-topped one.