Some random sketches

I have been taking a break from painting in order to study up on some aspects of art that have always eluded me. How long I'll be busy with that, I don't know, but I'll post the occasional sketch here just to keep the blog alive.

Two still life sketches done from life:

And two in ballpoint pen plus colored pencil, cobbled together from various reference photos:

I have actually been itching to take up the brushes again, so perhaps I'll soon succumb to temptation and paint something...

Autumn garden

Acrylic on board, ACEO (= 2.5 x 3.5 inches or 64 x 89 mm):

Cabin in the snow

Acrylic on board, ACEO (= 2.5 x 3.5 inches, or 64 x 89 mm):

A bit off the beaten track for me; here where I live, snow is a rarity, and enough to collect a bucketful even more so. But why not? The one time I saw substantial snow, during a visit to Europe, I thought it the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Apparently most people who have to live through those winters kind of disagree...

Country cottage

And now for something completely different. Country cottage, acrylic on board, ACEO size (= 2.5 x 3.5 inches, or 64 x 89 mm). And yes, light blazing from all the windows, a la Kinkade. Haven't done one of these in ages, and I had so much fun I think I'll do a whole series...

Apple and bottle

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm:

Mini bottle and Eugenia berries

Oil on board, 10 x 15 cm:

Probably the last of the berries for the season - mornings are getting decidedly frosty...

Onion and bottle

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm (= about 8 x 6 in):

Back to still life, but I decided to try something other than my usual dark backgrounds.

Pretty flowers

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm:

For a change, an outdoor scene. For this sort of thing I often prefer a far looser, impressionist sort of style. I based it on a reference photo I took in the garden of a local school; I noticed the girl intently staring at the flowers, haloed in rich light, and knew I wanted to try painting it.

Onion and herbs

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm:

Eggs, bottle, pear.

Oil on board, 20 x 25 cm:

Egg cartons are surprisingly difficult to paint - I should do some more!

Pear and bottles

Oil on board, 15 x 20 cm (= about 6 x 8 inches):

Candy and Delftware

Oil on board, 15 x 20 cm (= about 6 x 8 inches):

Cloudy and drizzly weather today, so the light is no good for photography. And hence, the camera didn't really reproduce the picture all that accurately.

Mustard and apricot jam

Oil on board, 15 x 10 cm:

Next week, perhaps some larger ones again...