Floral Still Life Painting - Yellow Daisies, Lilacs, Blue And White Pitcher

Floral Still Life Painting

Yellow Daisies, Lilacs, Blue and White Pitcher

14x18 Stretched Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

This floral still life painting features bright yellow daisies, lilacs and baby's breath  arranged in a blue and white pitcher. It is fun to work with complementary colors when arranging still life compositions.  The complementary color of yellow is purple, and the complement of blue is orange.  I used  hues from both color families as I painted. I actually painted this once before.  I had saved the image so that I could use it as a reference.  As I began to search my files (and files) of photos I found this again and decided it would be fun.  It is listed in my Etsy shop.  Click here to find it.

Retro Cat and Red Apples - A Still Life Painting

Retro Cat and Red Apples

6x8 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

 

This little ceramic cat was an article that graced my grandmother's home for many years.  As a child I was fascinated by it as well as other items that she had placed around in various arrangements or on certain table tops with family pictures.  She had 9 children of whom my mother was number 6.  My grandfather had been a farmer all his life except when he served in WWI so they didn't have a lot of monetary things.  Their home was full of love; however my grandmother of 4'11" was a disciplinarian!  I'm sure she had to get her bluff in some way because of her size if not because of the need for organization in a large home and family situation.  Plus, on this side of my life I understand why one would not want 15+ grandkids jumping on her beds.  All this to say, I was not allowed to play with her knick-knacks, but I had a great imagination.  I imagined stories around this little ceramic figure....some of them quite whimsical.  It became one of my possessions when I found it in my mothers garage many years later.  This little painting makes me smile.  I smiled all the time I painted it.  The figurine is in other paintings I've done.  I still get a charge of memory out of arranging it in compositions great and small.  It is listed in my Etsy store.

White Goat Painting - Charlie

White Goat Painting - Charlie

10x20 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

What fun it was to paint Charlie!  He is a white goat with long, twisting horns.  His long white hair is layered in dozens of shades of whites that reflect his surroundings and the natural pinks of his skin.  I decided to paint him on this very oblong format to enhance the nature and design of his horns. I must tell you that he is from a photo that my son took of dozens of these kind of goats.  I do not know how he could keep form getting tangled up with all of the other ones because they all looked alike!!!!  Beautiful and enticing design for compositions of all kinds.  Design elements and principles examples galore!!! Charlie can be found in my Etsy store.  Take a look here.

Still Life Painting - White Roses and Hot Pink Flowers

White Roses and Hot Pink Flowers in Copper Pot

9x12 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

I have been painting a lot of cattle lately and decided that I should quit painting coats of hair and do something else for a while (lol).  Still lifes are always handy.  I love to painting roses.  My husband buys roses for me occasionally "just because".  He knows that I love painting them, arranging them in different compositions to paint and enjoying them in my home.  I'm not sure that they are my favorite flower, but I like painting them.  These white roses looked very pretty against the hot pink flowers.  I thought the copper pot would add to the warmth of the whole composition.  To buy this painting click here.

Bird's Nest,Blue Water Jar, and Bouquet of Red Geraniums

Birds Nest, Blue Water Jar, and Bouquet of Red Geraniums

12x12 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Red geraniums are still my choice in subject matter this week.  I've found them to be compatible with many different items in my still life object collection.  Their brilliance and liveliness bring a special sparkle to the compositions.  To buy this painting you must follow this link.

Red Geraniums in White Enamelware Pot Painting

Red Geraniums in White Enamelware Pot 

9x12 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Birds' Nests!  Finding these little uninhabited homes has given me some playful ideas to use in still life compositions.  I have also been working in flower beds the last several days, and I keep getting inspired by everything around me.  So the red geraniums became part of the still life subject matter along with the lovely little bird nest for this painting. I kind of like the empty nest (smiles).  It can be interpreted as being ready for use by our little feathered friends this spring, or it can be a great or little statement about those of us whose children have vacated our homes.  Either way I certainly enjoyed composing this little still life painting.  I have this painting listed in my Etsy shop.  Just click here to take a further look at it. 

Geraniums and Nest

Tomatoes and Old Crock

Tomatoes and Country Crock

11x14 Original Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

When I paint still lifes, I have favorite themes that draws my interest.  I will think about how the arrangements of certain items will look in compositions.  Then I begin.  I love the country chic or prairie style look in decor.  Garden vegetables are always available at a local market to use with my compositions, and I have a collection of retro, vintage cuptowels, and crocks.  I have a large collection of enamelware in blues, reds, whites and blacks.  I enjoy the relaxed feeling country themed paintings give.  This is one that I did earlier this year.  To see it describes more please follow this link:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/91693044/tomatoes-and-crock-country-chic-still.   

Apples and White Enamelware Pitcher

Apples and White Enamelware Pitcher

9x12

by

Cheri Wollenberg

I don't know about the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", but I know that apples are exceptionally fun to arrange in still lifes to paint, and I don't think I am speaking out of turn when I say that artists can't do enough of them.  I bought these Granny Smith apples at the neighborhood market, and I have placed them in many different and interesting compositions.  I have this desire to paint each composition before going on to some other subject!  Obsessive?  I suppose so, but there is a certain (if not - temporary) satisfaction in obsession.....at least, until it is played out!  This painting can be purchased by clicking Apples or the Title anywhere on this post.

Red Vase and Gourds

Red Vase and Gourds

6x8 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Decorative gourds have a long shelf life so I can count on using them as subjects for several weeks.  The possibilities for creative and different compositions are endless.  I enjoyed placing this red vase with these two particular gourds.  The "warts" on gourds are a lot of fun to paint too.  I scooped up a lot of paint for each one of them....sort of like frosting a cake with thick icing.....enjoyed myself immensely! 

This painting can be purchased by clicking Red Vase and Gourds

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.

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.