Weekend Painting with the Plein Air Buds

Kim Painting on the Rocks, oil on panel, 9x12 inches

Went to Treasure Island this morning bright and early to get some outdoor painting in with the Plein Air Buds!  These are a group of friends that organize painting outings.  They even have their own Instagram @pleinairbuds.  My buddy Franklin Lei (another skilled painter to check out) invited me to paint with them, and it's a great way to get outside and paint in a totally different way and environment than when you're painting in the studio or at home.

I was lucky, the very talented Kim Herbst set up to paint close to the water right in the middle of these big rocks, which gave me plenty of time to paint her while she was painting.  It was too tempting the way the sun was hitting her and the rocks surrounding.  I was happy with the way this painting came out.

Orange Scissors on Blue Paper

Orange Scissors on Blue Paper, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Another small painting of these orange scissors.  I'm finding them to be a very interesting subject to paint and to look at!  

Curvy Vase

Curvy Vase, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

This beautiful vase I got from home.  I used it for the painting of tulips I did just before this one.  I really love how the vase opens up at the top and flows as if it were a flower itself.

Tulips in Vase with Water Jar

Tulips in Vase with Water Jar, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I bought tulips yesterday. I have always found painting flowers to be difficult.  Maybe because they are so delicate and organic, it's hard for me to paint without those hard lines.  But I want to get good at painting them because I find flowers so beautiful and a great subject in paintings.

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate #2

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate #2, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Here is the same set up of flowers, only I wanted to center them in the picture frame.

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate

Yellow Flowers on Green Plate, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

I've always had trouble painting flowers, but I love seeing them beautifully painted.  Herein lies the dilemma. I want to be able to paint flowers in a way that translates the beauty of the flower using the beauty of the paint. So now is as good a time to start as any I think.

Coat Hanger

Coat Hanger, oil on panel, 6x6 inches

Another object that was in my studio that I thought would be interesting to paint.  Some things just look like that make good shadows, and that's really what does it for me.  I look at something and if it looks interesting to me at that moment...boom. Inception.  And I will paint it.