Flowers for Celina (Sketch on canvas for portrait)

This is the beginning of my next painting, a portrait of Celina standing among rows of flowers.  This will be based on the photo reference posted here January 25th. This is just a sketch on canvas, using conte crayon.  I usually begin painting by laying out a grid, That's especially important when you are drawing a figure.  This is from February 14th, and a very hectic schedule has kept me from returning to it.  But I plan to resume work on it this weekend. 

February Daffodils (Photo with Prisma's "Flora" filter)

During the first week of February, my daughter brought me daffodils.  Of course I took pictures.  On February 18th, I chose the best of the photos and added Prisma's "Flora" filter.

Valentine Bouquet (with Prisma's "Highway" filter)

Here is another view of my Valentine flowers.  In the photo that I started with, there was a floral-patterned tablecloth in the background.  I decided to see what would happen with a Prisma filter.  Most of the filters I tried made things even harder to see, but this filter, called "Highway", muted the background colors, leaving a black-and-white background but strongly colored flowers in the foreground.  I really liked this so I am posting it. 

Valentine Flowers from My Daughter

My daughter surprised me with some flowers on February 14th.  Today I took a closeup of the bouquet, and cropped the image to get this composition.

Pink Roses with Prisma filter

Today I wanted to find an image for February 14th, so I searched and found some photos of roses that I took back in June of 2021. I added Prisma's Oleander filter and really liked the result.  Then I 

realized that some of the leaves had been munched on, so I used iPhoto's retouch tool to repair them.  Now I can send this out to wish everyone love today and everyday.

Reposting: Birthday Present for Me

For my birthday, I am reposting this because in 2024, I am still grateful.  Here is what I said in 2021:  "For my birthday, I am reposting this image of myself with my parents, receiving a birthday present. The original photo was taken by my uncle, Ike Fitterman, and I added color and posterized it back in 2010. I would like to express belated thanks for the present of the slip. And for the little party. I am also grateful for this photo, because even though my parents were together till death parted them in 1983 when my mother died, I don't have that many photos of myself with both parents. In fact, I am grateful that my parents met at all, through circumstances created by World War II, when my father -- from Brooklyn -- was stationed in Pueblo, Colorado, and met my mother at a USO dance in 1942. They married just before he was shipped overseas to do his bit against the Nazis. And I am grateful that he came home safe from World War II, because of course I wouldn't have been born otherwise! I am grateful for many things my parents taught me, and for many things they gave me, but beyond anything else, I am grateful for my life, the first gift they gave me. I often think about that, but here in February of 2021, I think it is time to say it. It is a gift to be alive, and I am grateful for it."

Spring at Kelleher Pond (Oil Bar and Acrylic Painting)

Here is my painting as it looked on February 1. I added a bit more detail to the foliage close to the shore line, and made a lot of other small changes that no one will notice. And then I was ready to say that it was finished, and just in time, too.  So I signed it, and  later that day,  I delivered it to the Beverly Historical Society, along with another painting, for the upcoming exhibit, "Colors of Beverly."

Spring at Kelleher Pond (Painting as of January 30, 2024)

Here is my painting as it looked on January 30th.  I continued work with the oil bars.  I used some light colors to create the appearance of water and clouds.  I worked some of the oil bar colors into the foliage. And most important, I realized that the shore line was not horizontal, so I corrected that.  Almost finished. . . .