Pepper and Leaves

4x4" acrylic on watercolour paper. ON SALE, $15! Available here

Here's a pepper study, with a patterned fabric in the background. I do love this fabric, and really ought to use it more! It's tough, but very rewarding to capture. Peppers are always a good challenge too; they're quite bumpy and strangely shaped, which can throw up some funny shading and really do my head in. But they taste great, so that makes them worth painting, doesn't it!

Almost Invisible

7x5" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

I really enjoy painting glass- it's a lot of fun to capture the subtle reflected colours and spots of light that suggest its form.

Oranges and Sprouts

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

Sprouts and orange slices on a floral patterned cloth- the same one used in my Green Jug painting a while ago. I really like the excitement it adds to the arrangement! (Speaking of, I submitted the Green Jug painting to the monthly DPW contest for December- winners are anounced on the 8th, so I have my fingers crossed for that...)

Anatomy of a Dragon(fruit)

6x8" acrylic on canvas board. $45. Available here

An arrangement of dragonfruit and pomegranate, cut open to show their interesting insides. I really like how the black and white patterned fabric works with the spotted dragonfruit, and the strong pinks and reds.

Reflecting Red Fabric

6x8" acrylic on canvas board. $45. Available here

Here's another study of that copper jug, playing with yet another patterned fabric!

Copper, Oranges and Leaves

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

I love this leaf-patterned fabric, it adds so much interest to the arrangement. This is the smaller of my two copper jugs, much shorter and slimmer. It sits nicely alongside the orange wedges.

If you look closely you'll notice I'd already started eating one of the slices. Sometimes temptation is too much when setting up a composition.

The Green Jug

6x8" acrylic on canvas board. $45. Available here

I bought this squat green jug ages ago in a charity shop but I don't think I've ever painted it! Well. Now I have. I used another of my Hobbycraft fabric squares in the background here- a cool-coloured floral one. I think the lighter blues and purples complement the greens and oranges quite nicely.

Orange on a Striped Napkin

5x7" acrylic on canvas board. $40. Available here

It's been so long, but I think I'm starting to get back into traditional painting. Here's one I did today featuring an orange and some mange tout on a striped blue and white napkin. We're reaching still life season here in England, because it's getting cold and rainy. Though of course I'll still try to make it outside a few more times for plein air before the end of the year!

Royal Gala Gathering

6x8" oil on canvas board. $45. Available here

Here are some Royal Gala apples gathering on some blue and white patterned fabric. I've missed using patterns in my still life paintings! It might be time for another series of them.

Clementines: Premiere

6x8 inches, acrylic on stretched canvas. $50.  Buy it Now

Another installment of my Clementine series. When I was arranging this set up, the strip of red paper reminded me of the red carpet at movie premieres, thus the title. I really love the black and white patterned paper I used in this composition, and I will be using it more in future- it adds drama to the arrangement and it's a very fun challenge to paint!

Clementines: Diamonds

6x6 inches, acrylic on canvas board. SOLD

Here's the next clementine painting: this one features a metallic diamond patterned paper. I really liked how the gold reflected the orange in places.

Clementines: Stripes

6x6 inches, acrylic on canvas board.   $20    Place a Bid

This is the first in a series of paintings I've been working on. I got the idea while wrapping a present last night- why not use patterned wrapping paper in the background of my still life paintings? Then I discovered a bowl of clementines in the dining room and it fell into place.

I've already done a whole bunch of clementine paintings using different papers- and I still feel excited to do more. It's great when you're in the midst of a wave of motivation!