Raspberries in Rice Bowl

Raspberries in Rice Bowl

8x8 Original Oil on Canvas Board

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Last summer my husband and I were playing golf. We were at the 6th Tee and it is alongside an old farm fence at the golf course. I spotted these wonderful raspberries growing wild over and through the fence and I exclaimed to my husband that I had to have a few. He ducked his head (laugh) because he is a serious golfer. I think he was hoping that I was teasing. While no one was looking I slipped over, chopped some of them away, stickers and all....placed them in my golf bag and as soon as I got home I set them up in a still life. I kept this painting a long time because I couldn't let go of it, but recently listed it online and it sold quickly.

Cabbage Roses in Pink

Cabbage Roses in Pink

11x14 Original Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

This painting may be purchased at the following link:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54962610/pink-cabbage-roses-11x14-original-oil-on

Part III - THE END

Unexpected Company

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Since I had been called a name all my life that was pronounced wrong, how do I suddenly change it? Well, my "knight in shining armor" did it!!!! When I met my husband-to-be I told him of my little dilemma, and he started calling me Cheri Lynne. Humorous again, because he is a country boy who was raised in a rural area also, not far from my hometown, and he pronounced my name "sherry" Lynne rather than Cheri' Lynne. We attended college together (as a married couple), and immediately my name was changed! Our new friends never knew any difference. I am known now as "sherry" Lynne……………..Still not right, but...... Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was the only problem in life (laugh). Now I answer to anything....sharon,shelly,shara,shari...what does it matter? As an older and hopefully much wiser woman, I know that the person behind the name, what he/she does and is to others is what counts most. So, when I paint these little cheries', or "darlings" I remember with fondness that I was a little "cherry" at one time long ago and never knew the difference. THE END (TaDah!)

Part II

Chocolate Cupcake with Cherry on Top

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Cherry Amigos

by

Cheri Wollenberg

I was a post WWII baby in a rural, country setting. My father had come back from the war after being on tour in France. He loved the French names and brought back the intention that his children would have them. A great idea, but I think my friends must have wondered why anyone in the world would have spelled "cherry" like my parents did. As I grew into my teens and became dissatisfied with "unimportant" things, I decided that I was disappointed that my name was pronounced "cherry" Lynne. After all, I had a French last name too. It was DeA... Now this creates a dilemma for a teenager! To be continued…..

To purchase either of these small paintings you can go to my etsy shop:  http://www.chatterboxart.etsy.com/.

Cherries - Part I

Cupcake with Cherry on Top

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Cherry Amigos

by

Cheri Wollenberg

As a child my friends and family called me "cherry" Lynne.  I always thought that it sounded like a country music singer.   I guess I was around seven years of age when my mother and father began to explain that my name was French and it meant darling.  I was satisfied with being a darling!  A few years later after English classes and learning phonetics I realized the reason that everyone pronounced my name the way they did....they pronounced it like it was spelled!  To be continued....... 

Robin's Nest

Robin's Nest

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Recently my sister and I have become really interested in bird's nests.  We both have wrens that make their nests in what seems to be the most inappropriate places around our homes.  I have taken my ferns down to water them only to have a little wren scamper out so quickly I thought a hummingbird was leaving the fern.  My sister has a potted plant outside her kitchen that a little wren has possessed.  I am also interested in the robin's nests as well.  One of my students recently brought in a picture of a robin's nest that her cousin had taken in a tree in her yard.  She shared the picture with me and as I painted this one, I used a little "artistic license" to accomplish a nice little decorative nest.

This painting may be purchased in my etsy store.  Follow this link:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/54134711/robins-nest-original-oil-painting

Behind Our Country Home

Behind Our Country Home

by

Cheri Wollenberg

We have a farm home in Oklahoma.  On a recent trip there it was haying time....which by the way has been constant during this spring and summer due to the consistant rains!  I couldn't resist doing this painting.  Everytime I go out the back door from our home I have new inspiration for paintings.  I will be posting other paintings of this great place as they are finished.  A friend recently exclaimed, "Why, that isn't about the barn, is it?"

Cherries and Cream

Cherries and Cream

by

Cheri Wollenberg

To purchase this painting you can follow this link:

http://www.chatterboxart.etsy.com/

Lemons in Vintage Saucer

Lemons in Vintage Saucer

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Another lemon painting as a result of being challenged by Van Gogh's Pitcher with Lemons.

Daisies and Lemons

Daisies and Lemons

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Inspiration came for this painting from a art challenge provided by another etsy member, http://www.danamarieart.etsy.com/. Originally we were challenged to be inspired by Van Gogh's painting, Still Life with Pitcher and Lemons. I met the challenge, posted it, and while I had those beautiful lemons I began to arrange them in different compositions. I have been painting lemons for the last week! Please enjoy these lemons as I have and visit Dana Marie's art. She is a fantastic etsy artist and very special person.  To purchase this painting you may go to my etsy shop, http://www.chatterboxart.etsy.com/.

Lilac Bouquet

Lilac Bouquet

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Lilacs are some of my favorite flowers.  Actually when I think of them I begin to remember times when I was a child.  My grandmother had huge lilac bushes.  I can almost smell their wonderful fragrance thinking of them.   They are lovely to paint.  Fresh colors of orchids, purples, maroons, and pinks.  Using a cool palette of colors in the forground with a warm background creates just enough contrast to allow this simple little composition to hold it's own.

Pink and White Roses in Clear Vase

Pink and White Roses in Clear Vase

by

Cheri Wollenberg

This painting features a pink and white rose bouquet in a clear vase. The background carries some of the warm colors of the roses to create a harmonious composition. It can be purchased at chatterboxart.etsy.com.

Van Gogh Inspiration - Lemons

Van Gogh Inspiration - Lemons

by

Cheri Wollenberg

This simple little painting is one I painted  for the Inspiration All Around Us challenge blog.  Dana Marie challenged and inspired us with Van Gogh's "Still Life with Pitcher and Lemons".  The prints we see of this painting by Van Gogh are probably a little altered.  I've only been fortunate to see a few of his in real life.  I found other images of this painting online and in some of my art books.  Most of them were a little different in intensity and/or value.  I like the image Dana Marie gave us best.  It is more high key and the colors are more intense.  I like to believe that this is the way he painted. 

As mentioned above the later image is more intense and is high key in mood.  The patterns he used behind his still life set up are vertical in nature and stops the viewers' eye from leaving the composition ("very clever, Mr. Van Gogh").  It is painted in a warm palette, but intense enough to create an exciting visual mood.  Some movement is made with the brush strokes around the saucer...leading the eye up to the vertical patterns...also holding the viewers' eye to the composition ("kudos again, Mr. Van Gogh").  The glass container also repeats patterns that create stability.

Now...my painting on the other hand is not high in intensity, not nearly as exciting, but the dark contrast creates a little drama.  Great practice!  Painting the lemons inspired me to paint other still lifes with lemons. I especially enjoyed doing this painting.  Dana Marie you inspired us again!  Thanks.

Pink Cabbage Roses

Pink Cabbage Roses

9x12 on Stretched Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

I love painting roses. A friend who paints with me every week brought roses to class for about four weeks this spring. Her gardens overflowed with beautiful roses of all colors and varieties. We painted from life and took dozens of pictures as references. What fun it is to try to recreate such gorgeous flowers.

This painting may be purchased at my etsy store: http://www.chatterboxart.etsy.com/

Fresh Strawberries in Blue and White Rice Bowl

Fresh Strawberries in Blue and White

Rice Bowl

by Cheri Wollenberg

This painting (6x6) features strawberries in a blue and white rice bowl. Set before a golden background the composition makes a primary color scheme complete. The strawberries look good enough to eat and they were! This painting may be purchased by visiting my etsy shop: http://www.chatterboxart.etsy.com/.

Trees in Early Morning Light

Trees in Morning Light - 9x12

by

Cheri Wollenberg

At our farm in Oklahoma I can go out the back door anytime of the day and observe different patterns of light through the trees in the back yard. I could paint this particular place dozens of times like Monet did on his haystack series, and never tire of the different moods and elements of art that create such exciting compositions.