Battle of the Fruits: Banana

Miniature #19 (part 3/4)
Oil on canvas board
12"x16" oil
January 17, 2009

Bananas are my favourite fruit. I refuse to listen to that high starch, diet-killer talk. Bananas are great and will one day rule the earth. I love the shadow of the banana stem. It looks like a nice ballad -- if ever one could see sounds. When I have time to spare, I like to slice my bananas before popping each piece in my mouth using the knife. It creeps my male friends out. Oh.... well. You can't please everyone, but guys, I hope you still like the painting.

Battle of the Fruits: Kiwi

Miniature #18 (part 2/4)
Oil on canvas board
12"x16" oil
January 17, 2009

I always wanted to paint a realistic kiwi with the dull, muted browns and the deep earthy greens, but as soon as I start, I lose control and render this loose, shiny, jewel-like fruit. Kiwis just refuse to behave!

Battle of the Fruits: Apple

Miniature #17 (part 1)
Oil on canvas board
12"x16" oil
January 17, 2009

In case you're wondering why I have been posting so frequently recently. It's because I caught a nasty flu and didn't leave the house. However, I'm too hyperactive to stay nice and put in bed, so I alternated regularly between painting at the kitchen table and crashing on the couch watching mindless TV. I painted so much that I actually ran out of my miniature canvases. :( So, I split a large one in four. This is part one of the series. This style is looser than I usually am but I nevertheless like it.

From Beauty to Beauty

Miniature #16
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
January 17, 2009

This is an earring stand -- once again borrowed from my flatmate. On that note, shoutout to Emily. I LOVE YOU. Your things are fabulous. If it wasn't for you, all I would ever paint is stuff I find in the fridge and would otherwise stuff in my mouth. Each of the swirls coming from the head are metal bars you're suppposed to hang earrings on. Since the stand is pretty and my Emily is pretty, I'm calling this painting "From Beauty to Beauty." The ballroom gown is absolutely lovely. The part I like the most are the peacock feathers. The photo fails to capture the iridescent green/black layering of the feathers. It just looks plain black here. What a shame! You've got to see this in person.

With Love, Mom

Miniature #15
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
January 17, 2009

With Love, Mom
I borrowed this hairband from my flatmate. It looked so lovely and girlish. It is actually the peachy beige I painted the background in but my camera failed to capture the colour exactly. :( I started this painting intending it to be monochrome and nostalgic but it seemed to want to be chirpy and bubbly so in popped the fabulous pinks, purples, greens. It's not an expensive hairband, but it looks soft and silky -- the kind of thing a poverty-stricken mother would spend her last penny on to give her little girl. Awwww....

One Man Down

Miniature #14
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
January 14, 2009

I absolutely hate wasting paint. If they are mucky colours, I'll tone canvas with them, but what do you do when you have a plateful of beautiful, shimmering oranges, yellows, and reds? Well, you peel the orange you just finished painting and start a new composition! Eating and chores just had to wait. The colours were calling out to me. The way the light penetrated the two slices at the left and made them glow is simply magical.

Unwrap Me

Miniature #13
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
January 14, 2009

This was really fast to paint. This painting and the next one took a total of 3 hours altogether. This is coming from someone who spends that amount of time or more on one painting over several days, waiting for each layer of paint to dry. The result here is less refined, but juicier and more emotional. I also used a fatter brush. My favourite part is the ring of peel and its shadow. They look like they're dancing.