Yellow Roses

Yellow Roses, oil on linen, 5"x 7"
$375 framed (ask about availability)
http://www.lisapalombo.com/

Number 2 of the "100 minis" collection.

A Bowl of Cherries

A Bowl of Cherries, oil on linen, 5"x 7" SOLD

http://www.lisapalombo.com/

Here's the first of my "100 minis" collection!

What better way to kick off a painting series, than with a bowl of cherries on a hot summer day in August. The paint is nice and thick in this one. I have a few paintings now that feature my studio window in the background. I am calling them my "studio window series."

Hope you enjoy.

Iris Garden and thank you!

Presby Iris Garden Path, oil on linen, 5"x 7"
$375 framed (ask about availability)
http://www.lisapalombo.com/

I adore irises and love paintings them even more! Fortunately, I live near The Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. This living museum of 80 years is dedicated to cultivating and displaying a rich variety of irises.

Speaking of irises...I want to send a big thank my new blog friend, Gillian for her kindness and creative contribution. She designed my new title banner. Gillian you are a sweetheart!!!!

Studio Paints

Today, I realized that whenever I have one of my annual Open Studio events, I have my studio organized and neat... paints are put away, brushes are tucked in closets, and even my Greenwich easel is rolled out to the garage... then comes out the table clothes and champagne!

So for all of you that haven't seen my insanity. Here's a glimpse of how I work.

This was inspired by Gillian, who speaks of her love for art supplies. I evidently love to buy paint!

Best Wishes

Best Wishes, oil on linen, 40"x 30"
$6600 framed (ask about availability)
http://www.lisapalombo.com/

I set up this still life on my studio window ledge looking out to my patio. The subtle backlighting was really interesting to me. I love how the sunlight comes through the drapes and how the shadows fall in front of the apples. This stunning wildflower bouquet was a birthday surprise from my husband. :0)

Wildflowers - why I love them so...

Wildflowers and Dandelions 12"x9" oil on linen
private collection

Most people dismiss the simple beauty of a wildflower. But if you look closely, you'll discover a world of intricate detail, splendor, and magic in a bouquet of these flowers. Every day I try to capture this essence in my paintings, and I approach this concept in two ways. First, I believe painting small flowers on a large scale amplifies their quiet beauty. Second, I have found the practice of placing wildflowers in a lovely antique vase elevates the everyday to a sophisticated level of elegance.

The artists I admire most are Van Gogh and Sargent for their brushstrokes, Janet Fish for her perseverance, and the California Impressionists for their palette.

I prefer to paint in oil on a fine-grade Belgium linen, because its tight weave provides a consistent surface yet is strong enough to sustain reworking with a palette knife. The durability of oil on linen also guarantees my paintings will endure for centuries, which is important to me and my collectors.

The inspiration for my paintings comes from my garden, where I grow a wide variety of wildflowers. Sometimes my neighbors and friends also offer flowers from their gardens. I like to paint from live models, so my compositions are determined by the blooming schedules of peonies, dandelions, poppies, pussy willows, lilies, and violets, among others. I stretch my own canvases, framing a selection of my paintings in hand-carved frames. After I have arranged a still life, I sketch the basics of the composition in pencil directly on the canvas. I then apply paint where I believe the focus of the composition lies and build the painting outward from that point, working the entire canvas one layer of paint at a time. A painting can take weeks to complete, depending upon the size of the canvas.

Painting wildflowers is not only my passion but also a part of my life path, urging me to appreciate the beauty of the simplest aspects of nature. I hope my paintings convey this same message to my collectors. If so, I would consider my life's work a success.

Welcome Home

Welcome Home, oil on linen, 12"x9"

$1200 framed (ask about availability)

http://www.lisapalombo.com