Kate Withers - 'Painting Space'

6x6     oil on gallery-wrapped canvas     Sold Gallery 24 - Torrey - Utah This was easier to paint than I expected .. never tried an onion as a subject and was worried about creating the papery impression of the skin.  Instead of usual sienna paint.. I used gold ochre as the base color .. lemon and cad yellow as the lights .. mixed turquoise from cerulean and lemon .. and multi-colored glazes over a grayed cool shadow.  The onion sat under a spotlight on my studio table .. so strong contrast was called for .. that's why I chose blue-green as the complement to the orange-colored subject.  Voila! .. the turquoise onion. *This is a photo of the onion on my desk top .. painting from life is the best way to learn to see color and closely observe a subject .. still lifes are ideal.

6x6     oil on gallery-wrapped canvas Gallery 24 - Torrey - Utah This was a great subject to paint .. took quite awhile .. and this photo is only a facsimile of the real thing .. the paint is much more subtle and modeled.  However .. it's a worthy impression and gives you an idea of what I was trying to convey ... the glowing quality and the wonderful saturated orange of the stripes.

6x6      oil on gallery-wrapped canvas Purchase info Winter is a good time for practicing close observation of objects ... painting while the cold winds blow outside .. small studies are fun to do in the warmth of the studio. Sometimes these can be a real challenge .. like this one .. the red from the light shining through the bottle was beautiful .. like stained glass. I may have to try this one again .. I have had zero practice painting glass .. on to the next one!

6x6    oil on canvas     SOLD A quick study from the Lee's Ferry area...here the Colorado River flows swiftly down from Lake Powell.  This is the only spot to launch a boat and enter the Grand Canyon.. a thrilling adventure.   There is a great campground nearby.. but you wouldn't want to be there in the summer.. 100˚plus.  Fisherman prize this stretch of the river.. and if you stay in one of the quaint lodges nearby.. you will be sharing the space with fishermen, avid hikers, intrepid travelers, photographers.. and painters! Go there.

The colors of twilight have always fascinated me...all the subtle reflections from a fading sunset sky glowing on everything below.. a quiet time of magic. This 6x6 oil study is of the Pinnacle Peaks near Scottsdale, Arizona.. a few hours through the desert from SpaceCamp. While I was painting.. a beautiful golden bug made his final resting place in the painted sky.. perfect for this work. I preserved him on the canvas with an extra coat of varnish .. kinda like the amber fossils of Jurassic Park. 6X6    oil on gallery canvas    SOLD Km Withers website