It's often said that a poor craftsman blames his tools. I doubt whoever first said this had the tools he needed and that they were fine tools. Today I hunted for orange, the color. The childhood lesson of mixing red with yellow to produce orange doesn't quite cut it. A rich orange, a vibrant orange requires certain kinds of red and yellow, or, better yet if you're feeling indulgent, an orange...

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Still reeling from the mushrooms, I opted for a more direct and plainer arrangement. The flat plane of the cut apple offers few opportunities for heroism, but the small seed pockets were enough. Before the mushrooms, I changed my painting medium from the new-to-me Gamblin Neo Megilp to the tried and true varnish and oil mix (2/3rds Stand Oil, 1/3rd Damar Varnish, a few drops of drier, and turp...

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After a successful day of painting, the muse often feels it necessary to put you in your place, reminding you who's boss.

A pair of shitake mushrooms, 6" x 5"


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The habanero, orange and somewhat translucent, would prove challenging. At one point, I wiped most of the painting away and started fresh. It kicked my ass, but got my juices flowing.

Habanero, 6" x 5" -sold-





Having just finished the habanero, I didn't want to stop. With some friends coming over for dinner, a filthy house and nothing prepared, I had no time for fussing. It has issues, of...

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6" x 5", a pair of bananas on a scrap of paper bag.


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The old hammer, found in a New Orleans basement more than a decade ago. 6" x 5", oil on panel


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5" x 6"