New Orange Painting

"Sweet Orange" oil on linen, 6"x12" - sold

"Vintage Find" oil on wood panel, 8"x8"- (SOLD Segil Fine Art Gallery)

(Sorry this is posting for a 2nd time, I updated this to put sold on the painting.) I painted this on a gessoed wood panel adding medium to my paint.  I think the glossy look works really well, showing off the table and porcelain cup.  Though I was not too keen about the new medium I chose to work with.  I recently bought Gamblin Galkyd Gel, it drys way too fast for me, among other things.  I'll stick to M. Graham Walnut Alkyd Medium or the wonderfully toxic (!) Old Masters Maroger.

New small Paris paintings

"Chairs in the Tuileries Garden" oil on linen, 8"x6"

"Paris Blooms" oil on linen, 6"x8"- SOLD

I've begun to select pictures from my Paris trip to paint. Here are two  paintings - little vignettes - just off my easel.  I stayed at a hotel not far from Rue Cler and walked by this flower shop many times. 

The light was beautiful around 8:00pm in the Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries, created by Catherine de Medicis, 1564).  I had planned to sit and paint with the watercolors I brought, but by the time I finished taking a ton of photographs the park was closing.  With so much light still left, it was too bad we all were gently ushered out.  More Paris paintings to come.

It's high time to blog and paint again.  Unfortunately, I got sick soon after I returned from my exciting trip to Paris.  June turned out to be a slow month recovering.  Feeling chipper again, I'm back to doing what I love most....painting. 

During my annual summer trip to the Sawtooth Valley (in Idaho) last week, I painted a few still lives.  Gathering up items at my sister's ranch, we created some fun setups inside the barn. With all the beautiful landscape outside, we had never thought of setting up inside to paint.  The natural light streaming in was perfect, also the magnificent view out the window.

"Country Kettle" oil on wood panel, 8"x10"

Inside the loft of the barn.

"Western Stories" oil on wood panel, 10"x8"

My sister Linda.

View from the barn, Sawtooth Mountains.

This is "4th of July Lake" in the Sawtooth Valley.  It's a beautiful hike up to the lake.  We were surprised by all the snow still there.