Bummer - my @#$% camera is broken

Those of you who have read some of my postings know that my @#$% digital camera and I agreed to disagree about the reality of FOCUS.  Two days ago I dropped the @#$% camera and only the left side the display displays anything. The right side is just . . . . . BLANK.  I suppose it's karma or some digital camera revenge thing getting back at me for talking smack about it.

I'll make some phone calls or use the internet to see if the @#$% thing can be repaired. I'm guessing that buying another camera will be "less expensive" than repairs.

Totally bummed!

Bowl of Fruit with Copper Pot

Bowl of Fruit with Copper Pot   20x24  Oil on canvas panel

This was the subject of my posting a "work in progress" for a few days. I'm calling this one DONE!

Many, many thanks to my blogger friend "Carolina" for her critiques, advice,  support and most of all her honest observations. Her input has helped me with several projects and I consider her my best friend in blogger-land.  Check out her blog at http://loquemegustaaquiyahora.blogspot.com/.

Railroad Crossing At Smith RIdge Road

Railroad Crossing At Smith Ridge Road  12x16  Oils on Masonite

This is a railroad crossing Smith Ridge Road about a mile from my house near Avoca, Arkansas. Smith Ridge Road isn't the main road now, it's been bypassed by Smith Ridge Cutoff. Smith Ridge Cutoff is blacktop and the "road" isn't.

Right now, January 9, 2010 both roads are iced over but we're due to "warm up" into the 30s soon. I HOPE!

Melissa in a Blue Mumu

Melissa in a Blue Mumu  12x18  Oils on Masonite

I've been working and working and working on this one. Getting the folds of the fabric in the beautiful blue mumu has been tough for me.

AND since the beautiful lady is Melissa, it's doubly difficult. True to my limited talent as a portrait painter, I've missed her likeness by a LONG mile.  :-(

But I'll keep on keeping on and sooner or later I'll figure it out!

Silver pot with bowl of fruit

Silver pot with bowl of fruit  12x16  Oil on cavas panel

I originally did this painting in 1994 and I didn't like it much then and I liked it even less in the last few days! :-)   Sooooo, I did a "do-over" and am liking it more now.  I'm not completely satisfied - yet - but . . . .

I'm pretty sure that I'm not done with this one. 

Still Life - work in progress January 6, 2010 UPDATE

The photo of the still life subject on our kitchen table

My sketch on masonite with tinted gesso

WORK IN PROGRESS - 1/2/10 Afternoon.  I have some darks and lights blocked in and I'm beginning to put in color to remind me where things are supposed to be.  The bottom left hasn't been painted - yet. Thats the gesso.

The @#$%^ camera refused to focus for me. I suppose that Mars should be in alignment with some star.

WORK IN PROGRESS - 1/3/10 Morning: I worked on the table cloth and touched up the back ground a bit. Haven't worked on the fruit or the copper pot - yet. The fruit and the copper pot are my afternoon tasks. It snowed last night and is still coming down a little bit. Really dry stuff - can't make a decent snowball so no snowman. Take a look at my studio blog for a couple of photos.

WORK IN PROGRESS - 1/3/10 Afternoon. Almost done? I need to (want to?) "tweak" this a bit.  I think that: a) the bowl needs shading on the left side b) the copper pot needs more "copper" c) the bowl lip (shape) looks goofy and d) the top-most red apple (nearest the pot) has a goofy shape as well. I'm going to leave it alone the rest of today

WORK IN PROGRESS - 1/4/10 Morning. I (think) that I made the copper pot more "coppery", smoothed out the edge of the upper red apple. made the lip of the bowl less "goofy" and touched up here & there. I want to shade the white bowl with a glaze, but I need to let the paint dry another day or two. I tried a glaze this morning & it just "shmeared" everything.  I'm going to call this one "done" after I put some glazing here & there. Time to start on something else.

 WORK IN PROGRESS - 1/6/10 Mid-day..I tried to make the copper pot reflections "stonger" or more pronounced. (Thanks Carolina!)  The highlights are not as bright in this photo as I think that they are in the painting.  I also put a light gray glaze on the left side of the bowl and touched up the highlights on the fruit. I am working on two other paintings, by the way.  I did "move on", sort of. :-)

A Bowl of Fruit with Copper Pot - a still life "work in progress".  The support is 1/8 inch Masonite with tinted gesso.  I'm not sure what the tint color is, I put some left over acrylic paints into the gesso and stirred it up.  Sort of a dirty, dusty rose?

I'm going to try to remember to take photos as I progress with the painting.  I don't do many still life paintings but decided that what I have been doing was getting boring. So, a new year and a new painting outlook.

I seem to have a problem with the blog posting editor - I arrange the photos and text in the "compose" mode but the published post looks different. Go figure.