red tea and white wine

Two more pieces for the February show. Beverages this time. Red tea in blue willoware on an Oriental rug (I love that straight-down perspective, especially in a square), and white wine in my mother's beautiful crystal, glowing golden by candlelight. 'Red Tea' may be the most fun I've had doing a painting; it just flowed, and I was surprised to find it finished all at once. The cut crystal tumbler, lower right in 'Wineglasses,' may have been the most difficult passage in all the pieces for this show. I struggled to depict that elegant cut glass, with its colorful reflections and sharply angled highlights, while keeping the look painterly and the edges not-too-aggressive.  I'm reasonably pleased with the result, but will certainly be trying again (and again) until I fully understand. Can't say I like that piece, but it's a finished piece and I need finished pieces.

Red Tea, 12 x 12 inches

Wineglasses, 16.5 x 11 inches

All content ©2011 Kimberly Denise. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

beloved fruit

I can't prepare for a show without making a couple of paintings of fruit.  I love painting fruit, especially apples and pears.  I never tire of either.  I also love working in a square format.  There's something deeply satisfying about a square.

Two Pears, 13 x 13 inches    SOLD

Apple, 12 x 12 inches, private collection.

All content ©2011 Kimberly Denise. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

companion pieces

Pitcher with Apple,  10 x 8 inches.   Available through The Harrison Gallery.

Pitcher with Apple 2,  10 x 8 inches.   Available through The Harrison Gallery.

Two small pieces I did as a pair for my upcoming show at The Harrison Gallery. The antique pitchers are from my mother's collection. My mom has some gorgeous, gorgoeus pieces....and I have open access to them, yet I don't have to dust! Perfect. My son tells me he prefers red apples to yellow (in paintings, as well as for eating), but I like the yellow/blue palette in these pieces. Unfortunately, they were difficult to photograph, so these are not very good images.

All content ©2011 Kimberly Denise. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

stained glass

These pieces will be among those featured in my solo show, opening February 5, at The Harrison Gallery in Williamstown, MA.  The show will hang until the end of the month.

Chalice, 24 x 24 inches, available at The Harrison Gallery

Two Shakers, 22 x 20 inches, available at The Harrison Gallery

The reference images for both of these pieces were shot at the Crossroads Country Mall in Lima, NY (see my previous post for more information).  Mike and I made a trip specifically to shoot reference images on a blisteringly hot Saturday afternoon.  The [non-air-conditioned] store was busy, and I am deeply glad that I managed to get a series of shots--which included standing on chairs and moving small, fragile merchandise with my slippery hands, often while holding my cell phone in my mouth--without damaging anything, including myself!  Other [overheated, cranky] customers were looking at us a little strangely (especially after Mike put on the big feathered hat).  When we got back outside and reviewed the photos, we did a little happy dance right there on the sidewalk.  These two paintings are the first results from that trip.  Each one took over two weeks to paint--an exercise in patience for not-so-patient me!

All content ©2011 Kimberly Denise. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

down to the bare walls

I pin my paintings up on the wall as I finish them; it's a safe way of storing them so they won't get smudged. In preparation for my February show, I had nine finished pieces stuck to my wall, and oh! that felt so good. It gave me a little shiver of pleasure every time I entered the studio to see the fruits of my hard work (literally--there were several apples and pears). But now they are gone, gone, gone. Of course, I'll feel much better about it once they sell, sell, sell!

A couple of "before" shots:






Time to get busy at the easel and fill those walls again! I feel like I need flowers this time of year; maybe I'll start there.

Summer Vegetable still life painting

Summer Vegetables, 15 x 10 inches, soft pastel on paper. Available.

This piece was done for the Week 37 & 38 Challenge on Karin Jurick's awesome blog Different Strokes From Different Folks. Every two weeks, Karin provides a reference photo, and artists of every stripe, from all over the world, submit their interpretations. This is the first time I've participated. I'm sure I'll become a regular!

She actually finished another painting!

Orange Slice, 13 x 13 inches, soft pastel on paper.

At long last. I needed a break, but this was getting ridiculous. I had a lot of fun with this one; now I'm dying to do more.

It looks a lot better on a white background; click the image to pop it out.

Finally, I can ship all the pieces for my May 30 show.