Summer Cocktail

                                                                 8" x 10" oil on panel 

                                                                            SOLD

I was very excited when I received a recent commission request for a quartet of paintings. Each painting is to feature a cocktail, representing one of the four seasons. My patron has already purchased my Holiday Hot Chocolate and Autumn Apple Cider with Cinnamon paintings, for Winter and Fall. I was tasked to create two more paintings, one for Summer and the other for Spring.

 

The Summer cocktail painting has a watermelon theme, which is carried through by the pattern and red/green accents.  The background pattern is lightly colored with strips reminiscent of a watermelon rind.

 

                      

 

Autumn Candy Apples

 8" x 10" oil on panel

Available at Etsy

 

Right around the time when the weather becomes chilly and Halloween is on the way, I start to crave one of my favorite Autumn treats. What could be better than a freshly picked apple smothered in a shell of sugar?

 

I do not remember ever having a real red candy apple before. Instead, I have eaten far beyond my fair share of caramel apples. One of my family's fun traditions is to enjoy a caramel apple bar each Autumn. 

 

For our caramel apple bar, first we boil up some caramel sauce on the stove. Then we cover our apples in the sauce. The final layer is a thick helping of multiple yummy toppings like, M&Ms candies, mini marshmallows, chopped up cookies etc.    

 

I was in a seasonal mood when I designed this painting. I chose three different candy/caramel apple types for a little variety.  I liked how the strips of the background carried some of the Autumn colors through the piece. 

                     

 

 

Lemon Gelatin Dessert

                                                                    8" x 8"oil on panel

                                                                      Available at Etsy

I have been wanting to make a yellow dominant painting for awhile. What better subject, then a wiggly mold of lemon gelatin.The gelatin mold design fit the background pattern perfectly. I added the butterflies from reference photos to add a little action to the painting. 

I love the way yellow and blue harmonize with each other, so the complementing color I chose was a light robins egg blue. The hint of blue in the butterfly wings help to tie together with the blue of the napkin. The striking red of the cherry offers a pop of strong color, as the cherry stem guides the viewers eye. 

 

I have been drawn to gelatin before as a subject, as I love the glass like qualities and the strong, vibrant colors that can be achieved. If you like my Lemon Gelatin Dessert painting, you might also like my Strawberry Gelatin Dessert and Lime Gelatin Dessert paintings seen below. 

 

   Strawberry Gelatin Dessert                 Lime Gelatin Dessert                         Lemon Yellow Dessert

 

 

                     

Pink Flamingo Cupcake

8" x 8" oil on panel

Available at Etsy

My best friend recently told me that an ex coworker once assigned her the spirit animal of a pink flamingo. I found this assignment amusing and was inspired to make a Signature Pink Cupcake painting in honor of my friend's spirit animal.

Right away I wanted to base the painting on a cupcake I had seen in a local bakery last summer.  The head had been sculpted out of, most likely, fondant or marzipan (a confection consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond meal) and the wings were colored white chocolate.

Surprisingly, I already had three flamingo themed paper/fabric patterns to choose from. I finally settled on the fabric with the off white background with the pink flamingo silhouettes. I was so happy with the way this turned out, that I already have ideas for another flamingo themed painting in the future.

                   Option One                                  Option Two                                  Option Three

                     

Rainy Day Martini

8" x 8" oil on panel

Available at Etsy

This is my second attempt at painting a fancy cocktail. My first cocktail inspired painting in this series was the Mexican Margarita. So far I really enjoy tackling this subject matter along with my desserts!

When I first saw this background pattern, the shapes reminded me of cocktail umbrellas. Naturally, I was inspired to make another cocktail painting and the martini seemed like the perfect drink. I got a little hung up by the cocktail umbrellas, but the painting is finally finished! I did make some changes to the background pattern as you can see the differences in the original pattern below.

Original Pattern

 

                     

Mexican Margarita

8" x 8" oil on panel

Available at Etsy 

 In addition to desserts, I have decided to branch out into fancy cocktails. My first attempt is my newest painting, entitled Mexican Margarita. Even though my beverage of choice is a Shirley Temple, I can really appreciate the beauty of these alcoholic drinks. 

When I first saw this playful cactus pattern in the store, I fell in love. When I see a pattern that interests me, I buy it even if I am unsure at the time how I want to use it. When I decided to start painting cocktails, this pattern came to mind. 

Originally, I  wanted to include a mini cactus in the design. I never got that element right, so I left it out of my final still life set up. I am hoping to make another version of this painting at some point. In the second version, I plan to use the chili pepper string lights as the main light source and finally incorporate that mini cactus.  


               

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies & Milk

8" x 8"oil on panel

SOLD

One of my favorite anytime snacks has to be chocolate chip cookies and (in my case) almond milk! I was thrilled when I came across this cow patterned fabric and was excited to pay tribute to this classic dessert. In uncertain times, a little comfort can go a long way.