972 Sunshine and Teddy Bears

What's old is new, right?  Take an old outfit and add something to it to make it more fitting for the times.  Right.  Well the same goes for paintings.  When you bring them out of retirement, sometimes you see things that you can't live with anymore.......like the screaming blue background that was here before.  This is better.

The fuzzy flowers on the left are Teddy Bear sunflowers.  They're really cute.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/972-sunshine-and-teddy-bears/804178

947 Radiant Personality

Are you sick of this painting subject  yet?  This is the third go around, but it is a little larger than the previous two paintings at 12 x 12".  Pears are a classic favorite but I don't find them easy to paint.

On to something new.  Stay tuned.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/947-radiant-personality/783373

946 ComPEARing

I recently painted this same scene with oil paints, and wanted to compare it to one painted with acrylics, so here it is.  In this case, I think the oil was actually easier, except for the little debacle where I had to remove the varnish because a piece of fuzz was embedded in it.  That led to removing some of the paint, which I then had to fix.  Here's a side by side comparison of the two paintings.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/946-compearing/780602

941 Golden Pears

The pears were smaller in size than usual, and therefore fit nicely into my oak leaf bowl, made by Wisconsin artist, Jean Wells.  Jean is not only a wonderful potter, but she gives selflessly to her community, having initiated Milwaukee's Empty Bowls event to feed the hungry, and donating so many of her homemade bowls for the event. 

For  this painting,  I used a dark background in my set up with dramatic front lighting.  The edges of the pears sort of blended into each other, and that was what I was going for.  I'm still learning how the water soluble paints behave, so it took several days with drying time to avoid a dirty mess.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/941-golden-pears/766236

907 Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

I painted this directly from an arrangement in my studio--dahlias and sunflowers in my Jean Wells oak leaf bowl, a favorite.  Sunflowers seem to be lots of people's "happy" flower,  and dahlias, as beautiful as they are, are definitely a challenge to paint in my humble opinion.

Smokey Robinson and Ron White from (Smokey Robinson and) The Miracles co-wrote the song, "My Girl" which was recorded by the Temptations in 1964.  It was written about Smokey's wife, who was also part of the Miracles.  I love the song, and these words are the only title I could come up with.

"907 Sunshine on a Cloudy Day"
acrylic - 12x16 in

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/907-sunshine-on-a-cloudy-day/706416

895 Missing a Piece and 896 Margarita

895 Missing a Piece  (This painting has sold)

896 Margarita, acrylic on 6 x 8" museum hardbord

I enjoyed painting this still life so much that I painted it twice.  Limes last a long time, unlike flowers.  Both are headed to Edgewood Orchard Gallery in Door County this Spring.

890 The Danglers

I guess I would have to say that my "first love" is painting still life.  I enjoy setting up objects in different figurations.  On a recent visit to a local grocery store to purchase the perfect fruits/vegetables for still life, I spent an inordinate amount of time with questioning looks from the produce manager.  Oh well.

886 Drop Outs

Sometimes veggies and fruit get side tracked in a still life artist's house.  This was fun to paint.

"886 Drop Outs"
acrylic - 8x8 in

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/886-drop-outs/645220

This painting has sold.

656 Rebellious

"656 Rebellious"
acrylic - 6x8 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/656-rebellious/398501

617 Celebrate Friendship

I could have called this painting "Blubbering" because that's what I did when I received this floral delivery today.  I was so surprised and touched by this thoughtful gesture from a dear friend, who sent me this arrangement to celebrate my art showing at a favorite gallery.  I took artistic liberties to paint it in one of my blue and white bowls in official celebration of this special weekend.   I am nervous and excited, and I certainly feel loved by the overwhelming outpouring of good wishes and kind gestures.  It is all very humbling, touching and .....I don't even have the words.  It's a wonderful feeling. 

614 On the Outs

This is probably the last of the Indian eggplant paintings.  I hope to make a visit to Whole Foods this weekend to look for cherries as I will soon be in Door County to celebrate my acceptance at the Edgewood Orchard Galleries,  and cherries are very important to Door County.

There is a "rule" in painting that objects should not 'kiss," but I love the negative space created by this kissing thing, and in the case of objects leaning against one another, I think it's got to be "legal" and if not, I'm breaking the rules anyway.  So there.

"614 On the Outs"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/614-on-the-outs/385239

598 Bringing Spring In

Last weekend I bought 2 flats of pansies but it has been too darn cold to go out and garden.  So I just brought some indoors to paint.  Pansies are so sweet and simply say "happy."

592 Forsythia and a Polka Dot Bowl

I know the bowl looks a little off kilter, but it is a hand made bowl and it IS off kilter.
The color yellow is my least favorite color to paint, especially in flowers.  It is very difficult to get it right, despite my "special" paint colors.  The forsythias in my studio are a joy to behold.

557 Overcrowded

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/557-overcrowded/336622

548 Flaunted

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/548-flaunted/333315

546 Hanging Out Together

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/546-hanging-out-together/332353

544 Simply Divine

It took me all day to think of the right title for this painting.  I had many perfect titles, but all had been previously used for other paintings.  I woke up from a little catnap and this one hit me!

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/544-simply-divine/331523

543 Backbend

Today I visited with a gallery owner I know and while I was there, a very disheveled looking man--- a presumably unlikely gallery visitor---with several plastic grocery shopping bags entered the gallery, removed his shoes, and approached the owner.  She greeted him by name and went to the back room where she retrieved a bag, and handed it to him.  There was a nice, yet short conversation, which included him telling a joke.  He thanked her, and then left.

The lesson that I already knew but was reinforced today is "Don't judge a book by its cover."  Turns out this man is an art junkie, and spends a LOT of money in her gallery each year.

What followed was a discussion of how people discriminate against one another because of appearances or other perceived differences.  It was a very nice visit with the gallery owner today, as usual. 

I am reminded of an experience I had at another art gallery several months ago.  I went expressly to see an exhibit of still lifes, and was barely acknowledged by the gallery attendant when I entered and when I asked a question about a painting.  At the end of my visit, she was rude and dismissed me when I asked a question about the process for acquiring new artists.  I felt so terrible when I left that gallery that I don't want to go back.

I just don't understand why people can't be nice. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/543-backbend/331311 

539 Stealing the Show

My garden club held it's annual Chinese Tea Tasting on Saturday with 80 people attending.  Our centerpieces for the tables included a moss ball with jade plant, rocks, and a single cymbidium orchid.  Each stem of the orchid has approximately 15-20 flowers, which are exquisite.  I am enjoying the few that didn't sell and couldn't resist placing one in my still life.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/539-stealing-the-show/330111

437 For Pie

My favorite apple, the McIntosh, along with Jonathans make a great pie, in my opinion.
It was also the inspiration for the name of Apple's personal computers, also my favorite.