Painting from the Still Life

I am back to my blog. Sorry for the long absence... life just got in the way! Meanwhile, I am still painting and this past fall dedicated itself to a lot of plein air painting and some larger studio works. I am currently teaching a painting class in oil and pastel on Tuesdays. Today the class was cancelled due to an abundance of snow this morning. This blog is dedicated to my faithful students who seem to like painting the still life as much as the landscape.

Still life #1

Garlic and Radishes, oil, 6x6
This was painted yesterday in preparation for the still life class. The panel was toned first with Transparent Oxide Red. I used raw umber for the background and made textures with the paper towel. A langnickle brush smoothed it out. The original painting has a much darker background. The photos here are just quick photos taken from the easel. My palette also consisted of T. white, cad yellow light, yellow ochre, cad red, transparent oxide red, alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue and chromatic black. I used the natural north light from the window behind the set up. Yesterday was a sunny day and so there was plenty of natural light.

Still life #2

Eggplant and Radishes, oil, 6x6
Today's first still life painting. Again the background is actually much darker on the actual painting, painted with raw umber. The white cloth has tints of white and black and yellow ochre for the cool light side and for the shadows I thinly painted a mixture of white with raw umber and TOR to warm it up. Remember, cool light has warm shadows.

The still life set up with natural light behind and a cool light spotlight.
I like this and may paint it again.

Still life #3

Red Onion, Garlic and Radishes, oil, 6x6
Not quite finished with this one.
I will post more professional photos of these paintings on my website.www.KalinowskiFineArt.com

Still-Lifes at Treeline

Pitcher With Apples, oil on panel, 12x12, $800 framed at Treeline Gallery
(I like the country French look)

Blushing Pear, oil on panel, 6x6, $250 framed at Treeline Gallery

    Treeline Gallery in Suttons Bay, has a nice assortment of landscapes and still-lifes. Since this is the slow time of year for this beautiful gallery in northern Michigan, I thought I would highlight some of my work there.

Kettle with Apples, oil on panel, 8x8, $425. framed at Treeline Gallery

    Working in the still-life genre is relatively new for me. I started a few years ago during the winter months with a group of painter friends. We call ourselves, "The Six Women Painters". This was a great substitute for plein air painting (sometimes not practical in the Michigan winter), and working from life is good practice. From that start, I often find subjects like flowers, fruit and veggies in season at farmer markets or even just the grocery store. Also, I am starting to collect small antique objects that would look good in a painting. Sometimes it takes just as long to arrange the still-life as it is to paint it! I prefer working small, 6x6 - 8x8, and on occasion find it necessary to work larger.

Mixed Fruit, oil on panel, 6x6, $250. framed at Treeline Gallery

Pears with Orange Slices, 6x6, $250. framed at Treeline Gallery


Please call Alyce at 616-450-6708,
 if you would like to speak to her about any of these paintings.

Thank you for viewing my work!

Day 29 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

Porcelain Creamer and Strawberries, oil, 6x6, $250. framed

A second painting with the strawberries seemed like a good thing (since they were already in the refrigerator). I have been studying the pictorial effect of repeated but varying shapes with one central focus. This is called Subordination. I set this still life up with that concept in mind. Not only was the strawberry shape repeated, but the creamer had similar shapes within it.

Thank you for viewing my art for this month. Tomorrow is the last day for posting in the challenge. After this month, I will keep painting everyday with a focus on larger paintings. I will also post more paintings in progress and hopefully get out for some more plein air work!

Day 28 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

Sugar Bowl with Strawberries, oil, 6x6, $250. framed

This still life was one of the most difficult challenges yet.
It looks like I have a series of paintings with red... it wasn't intentional, just happened that way. The strawberries (from Florida) looked really nice so I hope this painting brightens your day. It would look good in my kitchen, how about yours?

Thanks for viewing my paintings in this 30 day challenge, it is almost over!

Day 17 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

"Cloud Study II", pastel, 6x6, $195 framed in gold frame


As referred to in yesterday's blog, this is the second cloud study for  the larger studio painting that I started today. I like the cloud shadows on the land and the diagonals of the hills that make a Z shape composition. This study has more saturated color in the land masses and less drama in the sky.
I am going to take what I learned about painting these clouds along with the composition of the plein air study to assist in the larger painting. I will post the larger painting when finished!

Thanks for viewing my artwork!

Day 7 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

Sunrise Impression, pastel, 6x6
$225. framed in silver or gold custom frame with AR glass.

Another memory painting, this time from yesterdays beautiful sunrise. The sun was very large, the sky with pinks and orange, the clouds were wispy gray. It made quite an impression! As I drove my daughter to school I had her take some photos with my cell phone even though I knew they would not be good enough to work from.... though sometimes blurry images spark ideas.... The next idea came as I drove down the highway past the rolling cornfields and barn. I see those cornfields almost everyday and I decided I could combine the two.
I hope you are enjoying my paintings during this challenge because I am enjoying the burst of creativity it has given me!

Please contact me by e-mail if you are interested in purchasing.

Kalinowski@chartermi.net

Day 6 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

Meandering Creek, pastel, 6x6
$225. framed in a custom silver frame with AR glass.

Finally, a sunny day here in West Michigan! Also, we still have some snow, especially north of  Grand Rapids, so it is really wonderful. This little creek is one of my favorite places to paint, in all seasons, and really nice in winter.

Thank you for viewing my art and you can see many more daily paintings at the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" blog.

Paintings accepted in 6x6 Show

Autumn Harvest, oil, 6x6

Wow, I am excited to have three of my 6x6 paintings accepted into the Randy Higbee Gallery 6x6 Exhibit in Costa Mesa, CA! The whole gallery will be filled with 6x6 paintings from artists across the nation, and a large gala reception will take place with awards and usually many of these small paintings sell.

Still Life with Leek, oil, 6x6

Garlic, Eggplant and Sloans, oil, 6x6

More October Plein Air

Autumn Fields, oil, 12x12, $800.

From the Pumpkin Fields, oil, 9x12, $650.

Icehouse and Barn, oil, 12x16, $900.

October Morning II, oil, 6x6, $250 framed

October Morning I, oil, $250. framed

Pumpkins for Sale, oil, 9x12, $650.

River Banks, oil, 12x9, $650.

October Cornfields, oil, 9x12, $650.

I was very happy to get out on those warmer mid-October days to paint out in the field. My duck boots are still mud caked, but soon to be switched to warmer winter boots!

A Successful Show in Kentucky

Under the Weeping Cherry, SOLD

Pear Blossoms and Bee Box, SOLD

The weather was chilly, but the sun helped to keep us warm. Overall, the show was a success with some nice sales to my collectors. The St. James Court Art Fair is a large juried show with artists attending from many states. We enjoy the southern hospitality and love staying at the Gallery House B&B! Thank you Gordon and Leah!

Awaiting Fields, SOLD

Garden Brilliance, SOLD

Peony and Nectarines, SOLD

Nectarines in a Silver Bowl, SOLD

Sunflower Field, SOLD

The Blue Moon

OK, I must admit that I was geeked over the blue moon. I even had the event marked on my calendar. There is a small lake across the street, so if the conditions are right, the moon has a nice reflection early in the morning before it disappears over the horizon. So Friday morning, I took some photos, which did not turn out well. That is alright though because I mostly work from memory with this kind of subject.

Full Moon at Sunset, pastel, 12x9, $500.
On Saturday, we visited friends in Grand Marais,  MI in the Upper Penninsula, along Lake Superior. At evening, we had a bon fire on the beach and as the spectacular sun was setting in the west, the full moon was rising in the east! This painting is a result of that wonderful sight. Great friends, good wine, gourmet food and inspiring land throughout the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Harvest Moon, pastel, 12x9, $500.
This painting was started last year in 2011 during the harvest moon. It was started and I just finished it.

Red Moon II,  pastel, 6x6, $225.
I was surprised to learn that the "Blue Moon", which is a full moon that appears twice in the same month, is also called the red moon this time of year. The moon did have an orange cast to it.

Red Moon I , pastel, 6x6, $225.
I was most interested in this composition which I will enlarge to a vertical format .

Painting in Leelanau Co.

Here is the rest of the story! When I returned home from the Glen Arbor trip, I felt a few of the paintings needed a little help. So after a few touch ups, they were photographed so I could add them to my web site and blog.

Michigan Beach (Port Oneida), oil, 6x8, $295. framed
The second painting on Saturday morning of the paint out. This one required more paint in the foreground , which I worked on in the studio.

Thoreson Farm, oil, 8x10, $500. framed
I painted this one on Friday evening during the "quick draw" event. We only had two hours to complete a painting and I felt like this one was finished by the ending time.

Leelanau Road, oil on panel, 6x6, $250. framed
Painted on Sunday, the day after the paint out. It was very windy and kind of chilly compared to the day before. 

Port Oneida Beach, oil, 9x12, $650. framed
The first painting of the day on Saturday....I found some shade.

Vineyard and Bay, oil, 9x12, $650. framed
Painted on Sunday, south of Suttons Bay, before we left for home.

The start of "Port Oneida Beach".

Leelanau Plein Air

I took a painting trip to the Leelanau Peninsula for four days at the end of June. All the paintings below were painted en plein air. I also did a demo painting in front of Treeline Gallery on that Saturday (see below).

Boathouse at Lake Leelanau, oil, 6x6 SOLD at Treeline Gallery

Cherry Blossoms and White Pine, oil, 12x16, $900.
The painting was started as a demo from a previous plein air study and a photo of the orchards in spring. The demo was at the Treeline Gallery on June 30.

Fish Town in Morning, oil, 9x12, $650. at Treeline Gallery

Fountain Point Boathouse, oil, 6x8, SOLD at Treeline Gallery

Lake Leelanau Boathouse, oil, 9x12, $650.

Leland Boathouse, oil, 6x8, SOLD at Treeline Gallery

Leland Falls, oil, 14x11, $850.

The Bluebird, oil, 9x12, $650. at Treeline Gallery

The Whaleback - Leland, oil, 9x12, $650.

View of North Manitou, oil, 6x8, SOLD at Treeline Gallery