A New Stage

 The Blue Vase 16x12
This painting is in the "Splendors from the Garden" show at La Galeria Gitana. I am really proud that it made the cut to be included!

 Apple Basket 16x20
I have seen others paint a large basket with apples, but this one is my version. I was really happy with the way the basket has both the rough texture of the woven slats and the smooth texture of the polished wooden handles. I put it in a gorgeous ornate gold frame. It is so satisfying to sign, frame, and hang these pictures. Yay!

 Back Bay, Los Osos 18x24
This painting is still not where I want it to be. I have adjusted it since I took this photo. I got rid of the huge signature, for one thing! I also pushed back those distant trees to show them more as a unified mass in silhouette. I enhanced the sense of a beam of light coming from the left. I am tempted to try doing the dramatic, Renaissance thing with a huge obvious shaft of light. The setting sun was shining on the painting, creating the effect naturally. I might destroy the painting, but it would be a great learning experience. Do you think I should go for it??

Yellow Lilies 16x12
This is a beautiful painting with deep rich colors. I am still touching up small areas to bring up the details a bit and to make everything pop just a little more. I don't want to lose the fresh feel of the initial painting though. I'm happy with the way I organized the composition. It is a companion piece to the Blue Vase, but I like this one a bit better. I did a better job of showing the point of interest while downplaying the rest without being too "messy". This one also looks great in its frame - very professional! Which one do you prefer?

So why do I call this a "new stage"? These paintings look "ready" to me. There are about a dozen signed, framed, and ready to be sold. They look as good or better than many of the pieces being shown in galleries and art shows, in my humble opinion. So now the focus has to include developing a business plan - some way to connect with people who are interested in collecting art of this style. More on that in another post perhaps.