Finished the mug tonight... :-)

Finished my coffee mug. I decided to change the table to a cigar box, per my wife's suggestion.

I decided to post this incomplete painting I began last nite. This is my first attempt with water soluble oils. So far I really dont like them! I cant seem to get the nuances of shading yet...

A painting day...

Ana let me paint all day today :-) I took out my pastels and painted this picture of a favorite olive oil decanter. I'm really trying to get the feel of pastel... I'm not sure if I want to be "sketchy" or "painterly"... in my interpretation of the subject. I love oil paints, and I feel have real knack for oils. I generally like to underpaint, then lay down wet paint on top of the dry. I use the scumbling technique alot. I'm just not sure how to handle pastel. I'd really like to get to the point where I enjoy pastel the most, since most of my painting is done indoors. But even painting en plein aire, pastel is a great medium! Oh well. I'll keep working on my technique and style.

I painted this pear yesterday. Ana bought me some pastel paper as an early birthday gift! She also gave me some neat oil paints that can be diluted & mixed with water! No nasty paint thinner or turpentine to mess with! I have a very sweet wife!

Ana pursuaded me to do some more painting this weekend. I added a few more details to this lone apple..

Got inspired recently by a friend, Bernie Rosage, who is into plein aire style painting- I drug out my pastels and painted this last night after my Hebrew class.

Ana Maria, all dolled up for Valentines Day! Isnt she a cutie-pie?

My Sweetheart!