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 21 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

"Blackberry Wine", oil, 7x5, NFS

I decided to try a still life for today. I am also working on a larger pastel, but that will take me another day or two to finish. My subject here has a personal meaning. My father and brother work together to make wine, something they enjoy doing together and our family enjoys the fruits of their labor. My thoughts have been with my brother these last few days as he is now recovering from surgery. So this painting is about him and for him!

He would not want me to waste that glass of really good wine... so cheers!

Thank you for viewing my art!

Day 18 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

"Copper Pitcher with Fruit", oil on linen panel, 8x8

$250. unframed until the end of January

The last few landscape paintings have had a warm color scheme. It seems like I have gravitated  unaware to the same kind of colors for this still life. My concentration was on lost and found edges and color harmony.  The color palette included transparent oxide brown, trans. oxide red, mag. blue, cad. orange, along with some of the usual colors. I am thinking of trying a similar set up with a darker background... next week.

Thank you for viewing my art!
Send an e-mail if you are interested in purchasing this painting.
Kalinowski@chartermi.net

Day 15 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

"Hospitality" , oil, 12x12, $800 framed

This painting took more than one day. I started it at the end of one painting session and finished it the next. It required quite a few hours! Needless to say, the pineapple was very ripe, and good, by that time. I was looking for a warm, light feeling, more high key overall. I had left the pineapple top for last and that was the hardest area to paint!

Thanks for viewing my artwork and following these 30 days of intense painting.
To see the other paintings in this challenge click on this link!

To see more work or to sign up for my monthly newsletter go to my website.

Day 13 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

"Tea Time", oil on panel, 8x8

$150. unframed until the end of January.

Day 13, and another challenging still life. This old teapot was given to me by my sister. You can tell it was well loved, as the handle is bent. I debated whether to keep the bent handle in my painting or to correct it. I was more concerned though with mixing the grays and keeping the lights cool and shadows warm. Overall, I like the story it tells and the look of old patina in the background.
Thank you for viewing my painting!

Day 11 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

"Morning Coffee", oil, 10x8, SOLD

$150. uframed only until the end of January
plus shipping

Another still life painting white object with a limited palette. This one took forever! I can still see some adjustments that can be made. I might take a little break from these tedious subjects and work on some landscapes next. I have a demo that I started in a class to work on that will be a nice break.
Thanks for viewing my art and following my blog. Please feel free to leave comments, esp. if you have suggestion for improvement.

"30 Paintings in 30 Days"... see link on right for Artist's Helping Artists>

Day 10 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

Wow, it has been ten days and I am not tired yet of this challenge! Again, I decided to do a white on white painting in a more traditional setting. This one took a while to even set up the still life. It was also very difficult to paint such a high key painting. I will try this "white" challenge again and try to push the color a little more next time.

"Milk and Eggs", oil, 8x8, $150. uf. until the end of January

Click on this link to see more artists work for this challenge of "30 Paintings in 30 Days".

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

Peonies and Nectarines II

Peony Bouquet, oil, 8x8, $400. framed SOLD

Peonies, Cherries and Nectarines, oil, 6x6, $250.

Rose and Nectarines, oil, 5x7


Three more still lifes that were painted before we recently went on a vacation. Although I have not checked, I'll bet the peonies are finished in the garden:(. I love traveling and will post some more plein air work painted in northern Michigan.  These plein air studies will be used in upcoming pastel work for the next show at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Also, the new work now at North Seas Gallery in Charlevoix will be posted soon on this blog. North Seas Gallery is a treasure with many fine antiques and masterful paintings. 

New Still-Lifes featuring Vegetables

Three Together, oil on panel, 6x6, $250. framed

Turnip and Pepper, oil on panel, 6x6, $250. framed

Vegetable Still-Life, oil on panel, $250. framed

Painting Selected for Salon Show

Tomato and Scallions, oil, 6x6

I am happy to announce that this little painting was selected for the 2012  Salon International Exhibition to be held at the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, Texas. I will add more information to this post with the dates of the show, the reception, and when the paintings will be posted on their website.

Still Lifes with Silver and Copper

I am venturing into painting metal vessels and larger still life set ups. Painting from life, whether a still life or landscape, involves skills in design, drawing, a vast knowledge of color and acute observation.
An artist must continually practice these skills.

Sugar Bowl With Orange, oil, 6x6
private collection, NFS

Copper Pitcher and Cherries, oil, 12x16
$800. uf or $950. framed

Sugar Bowl and Cherries, oil, 5x7
$125. uf or $250. framed

Kettle with Apples and Roses, oil, 12x16
$800. uf or $950. framed

The Apple in Still Life

Ida Red, oil, 6x6, $250 framed - SOLD

Kettle and Apples, oil, 8x8, $395. framed

Pitcher with Apples, oil, 12x12, $850. framed

Small Basket of Apples, oil, 6x6, $250.framed


Living near the fruit belt of western Michigan, I love to visit the farmer's fruit stands. I like to hand pick the fresh harvest for still lifes and then for eating. My apples of choice in these still lifes are Ida Reds and Golden Delicious. The basket was borrowed from Brechting Farm on Six Mile Rd.

October Still Lifes

Red Cabbage and Tomatos, oil, 6x6, $250. framed

Pear, Nectarine and Concords, oil, 6x6, $250. Framed

Pumpkin Gourd and Concords, oil, 6x6, $250 framed

Plum, Nectarine and Concords, oil, 6x6, $250. framed

I bought some Concord Grapes and loved painting them as much as eating them.

Small Works

Heavenly Blue, oil, 6x6
Painted in my garden.

Aubergine and Red Pepper, oil, 6x6
Vegetables from Brechting Farm.

Red Delicious, oil, 6x6
A reminder of this season's delicious harvest.

Pumpkin in the Field, oil, 6x6
Painted on a warm sunny morning.

All of these paintings were painted from life.

Peach Harvest

"Peach and Two Plums", oil, 5x7

"German Plums", oil, 6x6 SOLD

The peach harvest has been very good this year in west Michigan. I just can't seem to stop buying them, they taste so good! Some have made their way into my recent still lifes along with the dark prune plums. I love those shapes! Call me crazy, but I love painting these intimate settings and just can't seem to stop, with more and more ideas. I think I should move on to tomatoes, or peppers, or beets, or....

"Fresh Picked" , oil, 6x6 SOLD

These new paintings will be on display at the Saint James Court Show in Louisville, KY, the first weekend in October.

August Still Lifes

Here are three new still lifes that I have managed to squeeze in this month. There are so many more that I want to do. On July 4, I went to the Burley Park Flea Market and bought some nice props...the cobalt bottle is one of them. Most recently, I discovered a great antique shop in Elk Rapids (will blog on that trip next) and now have a few more exciting finds to use in future still life set ups. I like to keep the small still lifes simple, with a nostalgic mood and warm color.

"Chicory, Cobalt and Peach", oil, 7x5

"Crock of Cherries", oil, 6x6 SOLD

"Plums and Peach", oil, 6x6 SOLD

Enjoy! 

Small Still Lifes Two

Aubergine and Tomatoes, oil, 6x6

More 6x6 squared still lifes, this time with a vegetable theme. We sometimes take vegetables for granted, because after all, they are for eating and cooking, not really known for their beauty.

Ready For Salad, oil, 6x6

Tomato and Scallions, oil, 6x6

I enjoyed painting them even more than eating them!