"Lean on Me"

I painted this little oil for the Holiday Small Works Show at Legacy Gallery (Scottsdale, Arizona). "Lean on Me" will have two companions at the show, all 4" x 4" and framed identically.   I can see how my 75 for 75 studies have really improved my color and brushwork, particularly when I'm doing backgrounds.

"Lean on Me"

4" x 4" oil on panel

The Holiday Small Works Show opens on December 2, 2010 and will continue to hang through the end of December.   Opening reception: 7 - 9 PM   

Legacy Gallery, 7178 E. Main Street,  Scottsdale,  Arizona  85251  480 945-1113

A Gull for Today

This may be the first gull I've ever painted in oil.  I really enjoyed painting it - something about painting white in shadow appeals to me.  I think this is one of my favorites of my oil studies so far. 
I am amazed at how much I'm learning by doing these little paintings.

Adele Earnshaw - Gull

Another blue background!

My sister, Joanne Hanson, recently took a painting workshop from Jill Carver, one of the very best plein air painters.  Jill mentioned that her secret weapon is pthalo green.  I agree - mine too - but also pthalo blue.  Both pthalo colors can kill a painting if not used very sparingly.  I use pthalo green (the only green on my palette) not to mix a green but to cool a color.  Sometimes if I'm having trouble getting just the right color, a tiny dot of pthalo green will give me exactly just the color I'm looking for.  On the other hand, I use pthalo blue to add pizazz to a blue or mauve mixture.   In my humble opinion, there are no other colors that you can substitute for the pthalos.  So the pizazz in the blue background of this piece is from pthalo blue - but just a tiny bit of it mixed in with French ultramarine and a few other colors.

As I've mentioned before, I grew up on a poultry farm in New Zealand so I feel highly qualified to paint chickens - or chooks as they're called in New Zealand.   The photo has glare on it because of the shiny wet paint.  When it's dry, I'll scan it and replace this photo with a better image.

 Adele Earnshaw - Chicken

My painting for today and Shane's for yesterday

Shane did his 75 for 75 painting yesterday and I forgot to post it here as I had to make a run to Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale to drop off four new paintings for their fall collection.   I love his new little 5" x 7" and when I read his titles, I wonder if my son might be part poet.

Shane Rebenschied - "Too Late for a Casual Withdrawal"

5" x 7"  oil on board

$75 + $6 shipping priority mail

Shane will add the 'buy now' button here shortly

This mourning dove's lively background happened when I had a few large blobs of blue paint left on my palette after painting another piece.  Rather than waste it, I used it behind the dove and found I rather like it.

Adele Earnshaw - Mourning Dove #6

5" x 7" oil on panel

$75 + $6 shipping

SOLD

Again, if you'd like to see the rest of the paintings in our 75 for 75 project, go to my website by clicking on this link.