Strawberry Almond

Strawberry Almond   oil/canvas   14 x 11

Come Valentine's Day, my thoughts wander to the simple sweet simplicity of Wayne Thiebaud.  I first encountered his work on some notecards.  Such surprise when I looked him up to find many other paintings...some quite large, and some not that sweet.

This year I photographed this cake through the bakery case at the local grocery.  While quite simple, everything is a lesson in portrayal, in texture, in suggestion.  The almonds were a challenge.  The thick palette knife frosting was such fun.  As I have iced many cakes in my kitchen, I used that same technique with the paint.

Simply fun.

Donuts for Wayne

Donuts for Wayne   oil   11 x 14 x .5

The work of American artist Wayne Thiebaud has always fascinated me, from the first time I saw his work on a notecard.  Pastries.  Ice Cream Cones....and, yet, his work was taken seriously.  His style was nothing like my own.  Nothing..  Simple flat shapes.  Simple pastel-painted color fields.  Little regard for perspective.  Giant dark shadows.  Everything my work is not.  And I am convinced that is why I love his work so much.  That, and the obvious sugar fix.  

And so, come Valentine's Day this year, we gave a nod to Thiebaud by painting donuts from Dunkin'.  My resultant work has strayed from that of Thiebaud with far more detail, a lack of flatness (that seems to be out of my range) and color that is far more complex.  So be it.

And, yet, I am pleased.  

Patchwork Mitten

oil/canvas 14 x 11 x .5 The subject for our class challenge was "feeling cold". Painting a mitten made by a dear friend of recycled woolen sweaters became a project dear to me. The challenges were many...painting a single mitten? ...and being able to suggest the kind of fabrics and textures involved without painting stitch by stitch...and to create balance within the picture plane without a given setting, or background. It took many passes...creating and destroying. This is my final solution. It has a feeling of whimsy, which is not really within my cache of emotional responses. I am happy. Why not paint a single mitten? If Wayne Thibaud can paint candied apples, cupcake and gumball machines, why can't I find the beauty and charm in such a simple subject?

Having Fun

Chocolate Cupcake   watercolor   7 x 5

Making art is lots of work. Painting is making some kind of order out of lots of chaos...a visual problem-solving that doesn't seem to get any easier. Then there is the hauling-factor....hauling supplies to painting class....hauling paints and canvasses to paint with others....hauling paintings to shows and to shippers. Work, for sure. My colleague and friend Susan, who also teaches art, shared a book with me about Wayne Thiebaud. He had fun! He made lots of paintings about lots of foods which he infused with fun. Paintings about shoes....more fun. The book, which was written for children, had many more pictures and less verbal history and justification. Right up my alley. To make it short and sweet, I was inspired by Wayne Thiebaud and his fun philosophy. "Chocolate Cupcake" is the result.