Perfect Fit

This is the yin and yang of pears...the perfect fit.

Oil on panel, 6" x 6"
SOLD

 

Fallen

This was a fun one! I've experimented in the past using gold leaf with pastels. It's challenging because the leaf has to be strategically placed since pastels won't adhere to it. I wondered how the oils would respond. Beautifully! You can leave as much of the leaf exposed as you want...or paint right over it! Perfect. I'll surely be doing more of this. It doesn't scan well, so you'll have to take my word for it...the gold leaf shines!
This detail might show it a bit better.

Oil and 22 karat gold leaf on panel, 6" x 6", $125

Moonrise

I love seeing the full moon rise from our bedroom window...and leaving the blinds open to sleep under the blanket of light.

Oil on panel, 6" x 6"

SOLD

Little Gal, Big Boots

When I went to the farm stand this week for my veggies, I was greeted by my 4 year old neighbor Camella and her friend. Camella had bare feet...this is her friend. I couldn't resist!

Oil on panel, 6" x 6", $100 (with display easel) + shipping

Inner Glow

 I love the effect of back lighting and wanted to try to capture its glow through this kiwi slice.

 Oil on panel, 6" x 6" SOLD

We and My Shadow

I love the colors, shapes and variety of gourds. I was pleased with the shadow in this one.

Oil on panel, 6" x 6", $100 (with display easel) + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Here's Looking at You

 I've had this reference photo for a long time. I've always liked the subject and the composition, but have been a bit intimidated by the glass. For some reason I decided to try it in oils and it essentially painted itself! Don't you just love when that happens?

Oil on panel, 6" x 6"

SOLD

Whispered Secrets

Have I mentioned how much I love this medium??

Oil on panel, 6" x 6", $100 (with display easel) + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Paula Red

Each fall, I visit Mainely Apples here in Dixmont to pick apples and savor the sights and smells of the orchard. The owners, John and Elaine Olsen, generously allow me to wander among the trees with my camera. I come away with crisp hand picked apples, cider, a taste of fall...and lots of reference photos. I painted this beauty first in pastels...

Soft pastel, 12" x 12", $150+ shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

  

Temptation

...and then in oils. Though I love the detail I can achieve with my pastels, I'm relishing the looseness and expressive brushstrokes of the oils. Such fun to compare the two media.

Oil on panel, 6" x 6", $100 (with display easel) + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Missing Piece

Here is my pastel version of the apple...

Soft pastel, 13" x 11", $145 + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Wedge

 ...and here is the same apple in oils.

Oil on panel, 6" x 6", $100 (with display easel)+ shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Approachable

I'm continuing to work back and forth between my pastels and the newly learned oils. I did these lemon wedges first in pastel.

Soft pastel, 13" x 11", $145  + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

 

Tarts

I painted the same lemons, sliced and rearranged, in oils.They look a bit more like oranges than lemons. Still trying to get the subtle color mixing down, but I liked the glow and I love those visible brush strokes!

Oil on panel, 6" x 6", $100 (with display easel) + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Curves

I began this demonstration at a recent workshop at the Woodlawn Museum. Just getting around to finishing it back home in my studio. 

Soft pastel, 11"x 13", $145 + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Comfort

After all my oil painting experiments, today I returned to the comfort of pastels...and my favorite subject.

Soft pastel, 13" x 11", $135 + shipping

To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Single

Soft pastel, 11" x 13", $135 + shipping
To purchase please contact brenda@brendaferguson.com

Still working with the oils and I decided to try an experiment. With the same still life set up, I first tried this painting with oils. Then tried it with my pastels. At this point I feel like I control the pastels...but the oils control me! 

Where the Bouys Are

 I painted this on a beautiful morning at Owl's Head, Maine. I joined some other wonderful artists. To see more of our day, continue below.

Soft pastel. 13" x 11"
SOLD

I was delighted for the opportunity to do some plein air painting recently. We were surrounded by the sights, smells, and sounds of the sea. Could you ask for a better place to paint?

 I was honored to join Carol Marine,

 Colin Page,

Marianne Smith,

And Bruce McMillan, unofficial photographer for the day. Thanks, Brucie, for sharing your medium of choice, photography.

We began the day at beautiful Owl's Head. I am relatively new to plein air painting so brought along my familiar pastels and while the others painted the scenery, I stuck with still life. Much easier than trying to capture moving boats!

After a morning of painting and a lunch of shared stories and laughs, we moved on to Spruce Point.

 I spotted a swatch of bright red berries amid the cool gray granite. If it were an oil painting, this attempt would be wiped! 

Painters Pondering. The same 'tilt' of our heads cracks me up.

Barefoot Painters. It was a blissful day of shared camaraderie. A pleasure to have painted with you all.

(With thanks to and all photos courtesy of Bruce McMillan.)