Some Small Scenes

Hello friends!

I have been doing some small scale paintings lately, and I would like to share them with you!

Painting on small canvases is a great way to practice and experiment with all the basics - color, shape, composition, layering, palette knife work, etc... without being overwhelmed by a daunting, large surface. These kinds of small studies can often be completed within a few hours, allowing for the excitement and energy of a fresh, new start to continue throughout the entire process!

I did a photo shoot of my two cats in various poses in front of a glass door, with the intrigue of color and value contrast automatically present from the inflow cool, natural light.


"Bella," Oil, 12"x9"


"Bella" detail


"Whiskered Wistfulness," Oil, 12"x9"


"Whiskered Wistfulness" detail

Here is a still life that I did of a hand-painted ceramic vase (a gift from a dear friend) that I have always been fond of. I did the first phase of this painting in a day, but then I allowed it to fully dry, and I went on top of the light areas of the purple table with my palette knife to create texture and to emphasize the contrast between the light and shadow areas. I also darkened the entire shadow area of the vase and table.


"Arsty Attire," Oil, 10"x8"


"Artsy Attire" detail

I also completed a small self-portrait on a linen panel. In order to heighten the sense of natural light on my face, I increased the warmth of the background by dragging a terra cotta hue (more on the violet side, though) over a very deep ultramarine/purple background color.

"Feathearrings," Oil, 8"x8"


"Feathearrings," detail

I hope you have enjoyed strolling through a selection of small scale scenes with me! Come back soon - I'm starting on a new, large (4'x3') painting, and I will be documenting the process!
Thanks for visiting! God bless, and happy painting! :-)