Peaches on a Pedestal

12x16 oil

I just delivered this painting to Brath and Hughes Gallery, Mechanicsburg,  where it will be part of a fruit themed show for the month of February.

Opening reception is Friday the 1st from 6-9 pm.

Purple Cabbage and Pears

This is a quick 8x10 demo I did for my Thursday evening oil painting class using a limited palette of ultramarine blue, cad red medium, cad yellow, and white.  I would have liked an alizarin or something more "purply" for the cabbage, but that is why the palette is called "limited".  It is good practice in working with what you have.  By warming and muting the surrounding colors I was able to make the dull purple my palette allowed appear more vibrant.

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my website www.julieriker.com

Fancy Chicken

6x6 oil

...just a little painting I did from a photo I took at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show.

You can see more of my work on my website
www.julieriker.com

Joyful Elation

6x8 oil

This is from another photo I took in Henlopen.  I witnessed this young girl and her two dogs run down the beach to the water and all 3 of them started jumping and splashing around.  It is the same feeling of joyful elation that I feel when I finally reach the ocean.

I am happy that I have been able to post 3 times in 3 days this week.  Soon my client work will pick up again, so I am taking advantage of the time.

Tonight begins my oil painting class at the Mechanicsburg Art Center.  I have designed the class as a series of painting "challenges" much like the ones on the painting blogs.  Every week we will be doing a different challenge and each one is designed to instruct as well as push the student in (hopefully) a fun way.  I am looking forward to it and know I will be learning from my students as well.

Surf Fishing

8x10 oil

I think I have found a little groove that I can have fun with now...going through vacation photos for ideas.  This image was from the same camping trip to Henlopen late October.  I love to walk on the beach in the early morning when the sand is freshly groomed and the fishermen are out.  The low morning sun creates strong shadows and nice contrast to the light sand and surf.

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my website

www.julieriker.com

Beach Grass

9x12

oil on panel

I probably should not admit this, but I have been having a hard time getting myself to paint lately.  I seem to be in a post holiday slump.  I blame it partly on the cold weather which is making it too easy for me to postpone painting outside where everything is brown and uninspiring.  So in an effort to at least do something I am starting to look over some photographs as potential painting subject matter.  I don't really like working from photos, but then it is nice to be inside  and warm.  And at least it gets me painting.

I worked on this one yesterday - from a photo taken on a camping trip to Henlopen, DE in late October -- in fact, the weekend before Sandy hit this coast.  I remember it being too windy to think about painting, so I was taking pictures of some things that inspired me.  In this case it was the pattern of shadows the grasses cast on the dunes that caught my eye.  Now several months later, it is hard to find that same inspiration, but I am trying.  And dreaming of warmer days at the beach....

First project of 2013...

Happy New Year!  

I hope everyone had a nice holiday season.

I am looking forward to some fun projects in 2013,

starting with this one which I just completed.

www.julieriker.com