Grapes and Cheese (SOLD)

"Grapes and Cheese"  (Watercolor)  © C. Eastwood, 2013

One more food item -- something to accompany "Lunch Time."  I decided to take a close-up look at the grapes and make them the star.  And lest you think these were gargantuan grapes, everything is actually in proportion.  The cheese was a little tiny wedge with a small spread knife cutting into it. 

Giving Thanks

"Giving Thanks"  (Mixed Media)  © C. Eastwood, 2013

This has literally been a labor of love as it was painted for a member of my new extended family.  These are her boys and she's the photographer.  It was lots of fun layering in color and texture.  She wanted "mixed media" and boy did she get it with this one.  I've never tried layering canvases before, but it worked and it was really fun to see this come together and match what I had visualized as a completed piece.

Lunch Time

"Lunch Time"  (Watercolor)  C. Eastwood, 2013

Okay -- today's challenge was more pressing than usual.  We needed to bring in something edible to paint.  I decided that a nice sandwich would fit the requirements by being colorful and having different textures.  But there was one catch, the sandwich was my lunch and I couldn't eat it until I finished the painting.  This is called "motivation."  You can't take all day on a painting if you're waiting to eat it!  Anyway -- with apologies to poor Susan who was sitting next to me and getting a whiff of the onions for a couple of hours while I sketched and then painted -- it was an interesting assignment. 

Two Eggs and a Pomegranate

"Two Eggs and a Pomegranate"  (Watercolor)  C. Eastwood, 2013

Okay -- so obviously art class is back in session because I'm painting unusual subjects again.  We were presented with a carton of raw eggs (and an admonition to be careful!) and told to combine them with other items to make a still life.  I added some really dried out leaves, garlic, and a pomegranate that looked like it was made of leather it was so old and cracked. 

It's good to be back painting with friends and stretching my creative muscles.  I haven't been doing that enough lately and I've missed it.

Great Expectations

"Great Expectations"  (Watercolor)    © C. Eastwood, 2013

This is just a small study (approximate 4 1/2 " x 6 1/2", cropped) that I did for a friend's birthday.  I hope she likes sunflowers and ladybugs!  I saw this little bug crawling onto the flower like it was some kind of buffet table and just knew that in this bug's tiny world, there were high hopes for something yummy upon which to dine -- that it had great expectations!

Tiny Dancer (Dancing for Daisy Miracle) (SOLD)

"Tiny Dancer"  (Watercolor)  © C. Eastwood

Just returned home from the 6th Annual Daisy Miracle Benefit which supports the UCSD Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (http://www.daisymiracle.com/).  Daisy Miracle was an angel on loan for a very short period of time, but she continues to touch others and help them through this fund.  This is my third year donating art, and I am so pleased to be able to contribute to this very worthwhile cause.  I hope you'll visit the website and read about Miss Daisy and the legacy she leaves behind.

Innocence II

"Innocence II"  (Mixed Media)  C. Eastwood, 2013

Well, as promised when I posted "Innocence" (watercolor), I've tried the same painting in mixed media.  The results (especially in the texture) are quite different and it's been an interesting process.  I've never duplicated one of my paintings before -- so this was an experiment on several levels.  I'm not sure which one I like better because they're so very different.  But seeing them side-by-side on the easel is fascinating (at least to me!).