Judy's Pear

I love pears, something about their organic female shape that makes them interesting to paint. My aunt's birthday is coming up and I painted this for her. I like dark backgrounds and this pear I put on an old bamboo cutting board. One would think a green pear would have a lot of green but actually it really has a lot of yellow.
Off to Oregon for a few days to celebrate my friend's birthday, can't wait to take some photos of the landscape and I'm bringing gouache for some quick color studies.

Haystack Pines

I spent a week at Haystack School of Arts and Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, ten years ago and it was the most creative and magical experience I have had in my adult life. Living in the desert, I really miss the pine and fir trees and I guess I must have Maine on my mind as I recently came across a bunch of Deer Isle coastal photos. 

I wanted to tackle the tricky landscape greens in this painting as well as loose brushwork. I painted this painting primarily with my left hand as opposed to my right, which is my dominant hand. I really enjoyed working this way and hopefully it will prepare me to paint some plein air when I return to Maine next month.