Friday, March 22, 2013

Three Giant Sunflowers

Another fun commission for a young family. These three sunflowers represent the three kids that are being raised in this awesome family home. Each sunflower panel is 2' wide and 6' tall. The collectors picked the concept from a small group of sketches. I think the scale and tone of these works look great in their space. 























These are painted entirely with a knife. Here is a close up of the foliage:

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Original Oil of Japanese Maple Trees

Cherished Japanese Maple trees on a couple's property inspired this painting. It is 4 feet square with a luscious application of oil paint that is applied with painting knives. The client selected the composition from a few sketches. This couple just did a great job remodeling this older home. What an awesome place for my piece to hang!
















Here is the Panarama below. You can see the painting from the kitchen, dining and living rooms! Love the setting and the scale. Amazing how one big piece can add a view to a room.






And a close up of the knife work:






















Lastly, here is the sketch. I may paint this composition again. I  loved the structure of the trees being nestled together and the movement in the leaves. Very fun to paint!






Monday, March 18, 2013

Blue Orchard II

This piece hangs in the home of a special family in Clarkston, Michigan. The couple has a 3 year old daughter named Daphne. The three trees represent the family. I could have removed little Daphne's things that are strewn about, but I chose to keep them in the picture. The tiny slippers are Cinderella slippers...I happily remember those times with my girls.

This piece is painted on a 4' square wood panel. The oil paint is applied with a palette knife. The Blue Orchard painting that preceded this was painted with a brush. Here are a couple of close ups: