Unruly oil painting of sunflowers in green vase

Unruly  6" x 6" Oil on wood  SOLD
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

These sunflowers aren't the kind that cooperate.  They grow among ivy and weeds along busy Cleveland roadsides. You can put them in a pretty vase, but they'll still look ravaged and unruly.

Lucky Diane Hoeptner oil painting cleveland oh

Lucky  Oil on wood   6" x 6"  N/A
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

I think I've mentioned before that my favorite flower to paint is sunflowers...   They are a hearty flower with a universal graphic appeal.  But generally speaking?  White flowers are also fascinating.  Doesn't matter what kind...  It's the challenge of the brightness and the lack of any obvious petal color...and I feel like I've only barely scratched the surface of the many fun and different ways to portray white flowers.

Pear Apples & a badly written mini saga

Pear Apples  Oil on wood  6" x 6" 
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

Sometimes we run out of steam mid-painting and things get left out.  The greenish yellow square of fabric had a tropical floral pattern that wouldh've looked really nice.  Unfortunately,  I seem to have the attention span of a nat today.  Plus my new American Art Collector magazine has arrived and there's chocolate in the house...  The end.

Morning Stars oil painting of white flowers oranges

Morning Stars   Oil on wood   6" x 8"
Click image to enlarge. 

As part of a recent re-organization, I made a pile of paintings that need to be re-painted/fixed or sanded back down to panel.  I also destroyed a bunch of old work.  Getting rid of old paintings can be really difficult!  But doing it reinforced the notion (to me) that my best painting is happening right now.  Looking forward is more important that trying to preserve the past.  Meanwhile my storage room is a model of organization...it's feeling like a good start to the new year.

Cool Star white flower oil painting by Hoeptner

Cool Star  Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

Buying still life props is super fun.  Figuring out how to arrange them, not so much...  I lucked out with this flower and the fussy china though--they look pretty good together.

Bouquet 24 floral still life ranunculus painting

Bouquet 24  Oil on wood  8" x 8"  SOLD
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

If you are reading this entry on my blog, you might notice I added a menu bar across the top.  The new Blogspot page feature is a great way to add static information.  Although, exactly what information to offer is still being considered. For instance my "exhibit history" might be of interest to other artists, but I suspect the average visitor probably doesn't much care about that... Yep, we're a work in progress here.

Frosting Fruit still life oil painting Hoeptner

Frosting Fruit  Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com



Wayne Thiebaud, Untitled, 1997



One of my all time favorite artists is Wayne Thiebaud (pronounced tea-bow.)  I love his cake and candy paintings.  His current work includes colorful landscapes as viewed from the sky.  People frequently refer to his paint application as frosting like...  Today's painting reminded me of why I like his art so much.  There is a certain joy when the color says what you want--exactly like how you wanted to say it!  It is sweet indeed.  I feel it in my own work every once in a while (today for sure) and I can only imagine Wayne sees and feels it all the time. 

Daffodil Trio floral still life painting

Daffodil Trio  Oil on wood  6" x 6"  N/A

Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers to paint.

Floral Rhapsody

Finally finished, woohoo!  These paintings are tile-able, each breaks down into three square format smalls.  They were too much fun to design and paint not to mention a nice break from still life painting. 
In other news, if you are reading this post on my blog, you might notice a few changes around here.  My customized three column layout wouldn't allow for all the jazzy Twitter and Facebook "share" buttons.  So, I reverted back to a standard blogspot layout.  I lost a few bells/whistles changing over and it's become clear that a few more things need spiffed up.  Spiffing up will happen over the next few weeks.  Your patience is highly appreciated!! Thank you for visiting! 

Paintings in Progress by Diane Hoeptner

Still in progress!

West Coast Art & Frame Show WIP

I get antsy when my blog goes a few days w/no posts so here is what I'm working on now!!  Companion pces, each on gesso'd paper, I normally do not paint in sections but this is a rush job...  Part of my focus this year is painting "floaty florals" for use on reproductions.  Hoping to finish these in time for a rep to present them at the West Coast Art & Frame Show in Las Vegas.  Will return to my still life set ups soon.

Happenstance lilly daisy flower floral still life

Happenstance  Oil on wood  10" x 8"  SOLD
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

This weekend I am cleaning my studio storage room.  Exciting, right?  The room was intended for casual storage of paintings, frames, old work on paper, portfolios, art fair misc, sewing machine and misc household cables, lightbulbs & gift wrap.  It's not a big room and that stuff got out of control.  (Understatement.)  Now, I've had the brilliant idea that the room should contain paintings only.  Just paintings: clearly organized, labeled, pristine and majestic items awaiting a final destination.  It's a tall order, but a girl can dream right?  I know if I can make that happen, the rest of the year will surely be a breeze.  (: 
In other news, I am happy with this painting.  I will paint it again sometime, bigger.

Medley in Blue floral still life

Medley in Blue  Oil on wood  12" x 12"  SOLD
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

One of the perks to painting regularly: It keeps you in the moment. It might sound silly, but painting is a good way to see things you don't expect. For those of us who live up in our heads, to see what is right in front of our eyes is a really good thing...and to do it again and again is an exercise in living better.  I love how this one came out and it's even better in life.

Yellow Bloomers ...unfinished & abandoned

Yellow Bloomers  Oil on wood  12" x 12"  NFS
Click image to enlarge.  Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

This year I will make good on my threats to add more stuff to my still life setups.  This painting was abandoned because of technical difficulties, it is not finished.  Note to self:  Water soluble oils dry faster than regular oils and that must be taken into consideration when painting larger dimension paintings.   Painting into half dried paint is a no-no!  Doh!