Lemons

Lemons

6x6 Original Oil Painting on Art Panel

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Speed painting!  Quickly done and needs improvement, but great practice! I'll probably paint it again.   Purchase can be made by clicking: Lemons



Golden Onions and Crock

Golden Onions and Crock

8x10 Original Oil Painting

by

Cheri Wollenberg

It has been an extremely busy week for me, but I managed to finish a few paintings I had started.  This painting of onions and crock is one of them.  My brush danced until I started painting the loose onion skins.  Expression with the brush comes hard and fast for me most of the time, but when approaching a  more complicated area in a compositional set up, I begin to choke up the speed, get in another gear,  and look a little harder at the elements of some subjects.  My first inclination is to say to myself, "This is hard, what were you thinking, why challenge yourself, and you don't have time?"  Then I find myself (using the left side of the brain) thinking out logically that it is only a matter of shapes and lines, don't get bogged down with the subject matter, and get on the other side of the brain and enjoy it.  So, I enjoyed this one!!!!  To purchase this painting click Golden Onions and Crock.

Announcement of an Event

If you happen to be in Fayetteville, AR this evening, please accept this as a personal invitation to come by and see some of Cari Humphrey's and my paintings.  If you cannot attend our opening you are welcome to stop by Arsaga's Expresso Cafe at Crossover Ave and Mission any time during the dates noted above.

White Peonies in Pink Vase

White Peonies in Pink Vase

10x10 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

I have white peonies that bloom every spring in my yard.  Each year I hardly can wait to paint them.  Their anatomy is so delicate and beautiful.  There are yellows and oranges that radiate out in the middle and through the slender petals from the center of the bloom itself.  Then on the outside of the bloom away from the bulbular center fall these very pale pink and white petals that catch light blue reflections from the sky and artificial light.  Peonies are a little challenging to paint, and sometimes I feel more successful in painting them than other times, but they are always a joy to try to emulate.  The pink vase is one of my still life favorites and I save it for very special flowers.  It is like a favorite child (laugh).  This year it seemed to cry out to me, to place these few peonies in it.  They compliment one another very well.  This painting is pretty high-key and has a pastel overtone.  To buy it you can click Peonies.

Pansies in a White Gravy Boat

Pansies in a Gravy Boat

9x12 Oil on Linen

by

Cheri Wollenberg

My painting students wanted me to create a still life for them to paint this week.  I decided to arrange these cute little pansies in this wonderful ceramic piece that one of them had left with my still life container collection.  It made a delicate subject and extremely enjoyable one to paint.  The background was a gold piece of fabric and the gravy boat sat on a light teal colored cloth.  I decided to push the golds some by adding rusts and siennas so that there would be an orange hue to complement the teal colors.  The golden colors enhanced by the light made a great background for the purples of course.  The linen canvas is glued to heavy foam board so the painting requires framing. 

Blue Hydrangea in Fruit Jar

Blue Hydrangea in Fruit Jar

12x12 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri wollenberg

One of the great things about being an artist is getting to know more about flowers.  I have to admit there is so much "science" in raising beautiful flowers that I am sometimes overwhelmed when I put my "gardener's hat" on.  I have this crazy desire to raise my own flowers for floral paintings.  I have a lot of wonderful friends who have shared starts and seedlings of plants and flowers with me, and I am successful occasionally in following through with the discipline in caring for these prized gifts!  Hydrangea is one type of flower that I have become interested in during the last several years.  I found out that soil is usually what dictates the color of these gorgeous florals.  I have to admit that painting them is still my favorite thing even though it is absolutely delightful to cut some live flowers for a bouquet from my own flower beds.  There is defintely a connection in arts and sciences!

Green Apples

Green Apples

9x12 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

'Going green' can mean several things I suppose.  In this case I am painting green apples instead of the red ones that my brush has been actively producing lately (laugh).  I have finished a total of seven apple paintings in the last week.  A few of them I'm contented with....a few of them not so much, but I've experienced great enjoyment and my brush has danced!