Ocean view

 Ocean view, British Columbia. Oil on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

Doesn't hurt to now and then try something I am not so familiar with. A Canadian friend of mine posted a photo on Facebook, and I shamelessly stole it to use as reference photo. I couldn't quite do it justice, I think...

Pylons

 Pylons near Balmoral, Mpumalanga:

Oil on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm.

This spot is only a few kilometres from where I lived as a boy. It is mid-winter, and the winter frosts have killed off the grass and, it seems, everything else. New growth will burst forth in spring, and by November, if the rains were reasonable, the area will resemble Ireland. 

I find most people don't particularly like this kind of scene: the winter colors are considered drab, even depressing, and the pylons an eyesore. With me it is different, perhaps partly because I grew up in this sort of landscape, and thus perhaps view it through the soft-focus filter of nostalgia. For me, these pylons and their cables snaking over the horizon are very much part of the landscape, and I love the rich but subtle and subdued hues of the winter grass. 

This item will be for sale on my Bid-or-Buy store as soon as it is dry enough to travel.

Abandoned home, Karoo

Oil on Masonite, 15 x 20 cm:

SOLD

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:

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.

Mini bottle, mini tomatoes

Been a while since I have made one of these mini paintings. Oil on board, 15 x 10 cm (= 6 x 4 inches):

Sweet things

Nowadays, I try hard not to eat these things. But they are fun to paint.
Oil on board, 15 x 20 cm (= about 6 x 8 inches):

Tomato and mushrooms

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

Tomato, egg, pepper shaker

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

As usual the camera did not reproduce the colors quite accurately. I boldly claim that the original looks better.

This work will appear on my Bid-or-Buy store as soon as it is dry enough to transport! 

Lemon and glass

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

This work will appear on my Bid-or-Buy store as soon as it is dry enough to transport! 

Two lemons

Another citrus-themed one. Oil on board, 15 x 20 cm (= about 6 x 8 inches):

Lemon and Herbs

When life gives you lemons, paint them...
Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm (= about 8 x 6 inches):

Cloves, tomato, apricot jam

I remain torn between oils and acrylics for this sort of painting. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. In practice, I work with one for a while, then get sick of it and switch to the other. Perhaps I'll eventually figure out which one I really prefer.

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

Three Figs

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

Happened to walk past a fig tree in fruit and shamelessly stole myself some to serve as models...

Cherry Tomatoes and Miniature Bottle

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

My cherry tomato bush is beginning to bear more fruit than I know what to do with. Still life is one possible function of cherry tomatoes, but they're so small it is usually preferable to combine them with other small items. Luckily I have a small collection of such trinkets...