Ivory Cosmos oil painting of wildflowers glass jar

Ivory Cosmos  Oil on cradled wood  14" x 11"  SOLD

Very happy with this one.  I made a couple minor changes to the 2010 version of this painting, here.  I was content with that one --but this one really hits the sweet spot.

Mum Melody floral still life before and after

Mum Melody (after)  Oil on wood  8" x 8"  SOLD

Same painting, before softening petals and adjusting background browns.

I received new brushes in the mail today, joy!!  Here's another before and after.

Blue Jar with Daffodils 14x11 original painting

Blue Jar with Daffodils  Oil on cradled wood  14" x 11"  NFS

Art Nouveau Floral before and after "fixing"

Art Nouveau Floral  Oil on cradled wood  8" x 10"  SOLD

Same painting, before background re-paint

I've been waiting for this painting to dry enough to tweak it.  The biggest fix was lightening and cooling the background pattern.  Soooo much better now and the photo doesn't do it justice.

Sad Coco sentimental painting of sad cat

Sad Coco  Oil on cradled wood 10" x 10"  SOLD

While I feel somewhat defensive (is that the word?  self conscious?) about this sentimental painting --I must say I think I captured my little gray bear here-- in all his forlorn glory.  He's not a sad cat really, but he has his moments like we all do.  (:

Berea Art Walk Pictures

Here's a few pictures from Saturday's Front & Center art walk in Berea, OH.  Worthy of note, the customized banners hung throughout Berea guiding art enthusiasts where to go.  (I do love to see my name in print.)  Special thanks go to Cafe Au-Roma for hosting my space, art walk planners and everybody who stopped by to see my paintings and purchase notecards. 

May Day Floral 10x10 oil painting red flowers

May Day Floral  Oil on cradled wood  10" x 10"  $299.

Despite struggling with this painting, I feel like I'm getting the hang of painting the dark red Ranunculus blooms.  Getting the darks properly painted first really helps with the rest.  I always hesitate adding white to red flowers-- but it worked out ok here.

Tangled Reds original oil painting of Ranunculus

Tangled Reds  Oil on cradled wood  10" x 10"  $299.

I remember learning a "trick" for making portraits more exciting.  The trick was to make one side of the face dark against a light background and the other side light against a dark background. While painting this bouquet of dark red Ranunculus I realized the glass jar does just that.  Not sure if it makes it more exciting, but I like the effect.

News & goings on for May of 2012 Diane Hoeptner

Sun on Stripes  Oil on wood  8x8  NFS

I seem to have gotten sucked into a void of (badly needed) Spring cleaning lately, so here's a bit of news.  More Ranunculus paintings next week!
Happy news:  Edward Montgomery Fine Art Gallery in beautiful Carmel, California now offers a selection of my paintings.  Via Carmel Magazine "Edward's gallery is a stylized setting that stands out among sea of conventional galleries to provide an effective compliment to the artists he has chosen to exhibit." Fellow artists at EMFA include Jennifer Diehl, Robin Cheers and Ted Polomis!  I am honored to show my work there!
"Sun on Stripes" (pictured above) was juried into the 9th annual Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community show which runs from May 27th - June 30th at the Park Gables Gallery in Harrisonburg, Virginia.   Unlike some juried shows (I've had my share, doncha know) this show is efficiently run and locally promoted, offers generous awards and they don't take a commission on sales (bonus!)  If you're in the area, treat yourself to an eyeful and go have a look at the exhibit!
Finally, if you are local to Ohio, do come and see me at Cafe ah Roma during the Berea Art Walk next Saturday from noon to 4pm, I'll be offering new paintings and notecards. 

Coco on Purple gray cat on pattern painting

Coco on Purple  Oil on cradled wood  8" x 8"  $195.

A pensive looking Coco kitty before I get back to the all consuming Ranunculus again.  I've been experimenting with using a very thin layer of WS stand oil on my boards before applying paint.  It really helps smooth paint application.  But too much can make the surface slippery and thins the paint more than I like...  Just a little bit does the trick.

Art Nouveau Floral with pears 8x10 oil painting

Art Nouveau Floral  Oil on cradled wood  8" x 10"  $245.

I love how pattern makes the eye move across a composition. Painting pattern in such a way that it does that and still allows for a strong focal point is kinda hard.  But I persist.  (:

Bouquet with Pear getting lost in the details

Bouquet with Pear  Oil on cradled wood  10" x 10"  SOLD

Sometimes I worry about getting "lost in the details!!"  These Ranuculus offer a quagmire of opportunities to mix endless variations of reds, oranges, and yellows...  I knew it from the get-go, but still found myself micro-managing each bloom.  Anyway, more Ranunculus paintings coming up this week!

Before the Brawl two cats on a window ledge

Before the Brawl  Oil on cradled wood  8" x 8"  $195.

(amazing photo reference via Jala Pfaff, thank you again, Jala)

Mum Melody floral still life painting with oranges

Mum Melody  Oil on cradled wood  8" x 8"  $195.