Leaning Pear

6 x 6 oil on canvas, still life

When I painted this I was trying to concentrate on finding the right colors. I figured if the colors were correct then the values will follow. I think sometimes I meddle with things too much. I should just get it correct the first time and then leave it alone. Thank you for looking.

Michael Williamson

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Heaven

6 x 8 oil on canvas, still life

 

When I was painting this it reminded me of heaven with the lights coming from above. I attempted to make the objects stand out and almost "glow". The background is actually more green, but I was unable to capture this. Thanks for looking.

Michael Williamson

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Dusk

6 x 8 oil on canvas, still life

This still life looked like I was trying to capture the fleeting light. I think I have overused the green vase and need to put it away for awhile. I love the way it captures the light. Thank you for looking.

Michael Williamson

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Fire Lady

20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas, portrait

 

This was a portrait from the other night at an open studio. Stretched canvas has a good feel to it when painting.

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The Preacher

10 x 10 oil on canvas, still life

This is a little bigger than I usually paint. Sometimes I feel good with the added elbow room. I also ran out of my smaller canvas boards and had this one lying around. The vase reminds me of a drawings by Heinrich Kley where he draws two different styles of preachers preaching to the crowd. For me it's easy to put emotion into a drawing and a lot harder to put it in painting. If art does not have emotion.. it is not a painting just decoration that's my opinion. Thank you for looking.

Michael Williamson

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Waiting

6 x 6 oil on canvas, Still life

This is a 6 x 6 oil on canvas still life. I started painting last night at a late hour and after looking at it the next morning I liked the vibrant strokes. You could almost hear them say "Get me right so I can go to sleep". I think my composition could use a more vertical object to pull it from above. Thank you for looking.

-Michael Williamson

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"Left Out"

10 x 8 oil on canvas

I was originally setting up a study in blue and then got distracted. After painting this I realized that I could use some better cropping in my composition. I think I tried to unconsciously fit everything in. One little persimmon got left out from the gang. I liked how he is looking in trying to see if there is enough room for him to squeeze in. Thanks for looking.

Michael Williamson

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Woman Portrait

12 x 11 oil on canvas

This was a portrait painting made at an Scottsdale Art School's open studio. The ground was very absorbent so I had to be very direct with the paint. Thank for looking.

Michael Williamson

The Embrace

6 x 8 oil on canvas. Still life

These two individuals seem to be caught in the headlights while embracing. I tried to concentrate on hitting color next to color and tried to stay away from drawing form. This is very hard since I have spent a good part of my life drawing. Thank you for looking.

-Michael Williamson

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Study in Green and Blue

8 x 6 oil on canvas

This was a quick study in green and blue. I usually use only a basic red, white, blue and white paint when I paint. I can usually get a wide variety with these. Unfortunately, the green made from this is fairly muted in strength. I had to use some phthalocyanine blue in order to made more vivid greens. If anybody paints they know how beautiful and dangerous this color can be. Thank for stopping by.

-Michael

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A Trip to the Baby's Room!

A Trip to the Baby's Room 6 x 8 oil on canvas

Before the kids went to sleep last night I grabbed a few of their toys. I am new to still life painting and I love the fact that it is always new and exciting. I love drawing and painting figures, but with those it's more concentrating on the slight nuances or changes that occur within the skin. With still life it is the way different forms react with one another. Very challenging. Thank for stopping by.

-Michael

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Christmas Colors!

8 x 6 oil on canvas.

When I picked these objects I wasn't necessarily looking for complimentary colors. I just liked the way the deep red looked on the onion and the light shown through the glass. They remind me of two strangers in an elevator. Very little communication going on they are both standing proud. I think next time I will try and make one star shine a little brighter. Thank you for looking.

-M. Williamson

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Abstract Buddha

6 x 8 oil on canvas

I tried a slightly more complicated design for this 3 hour excursion. I tried to just place colors next to colors and not worry about the shape.

I think I could have spent 3 more hours on this easily. Thanks for stopping by to look.

Michael

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A Shoe next to Blue

On this small painting I concentrated on trying to give the impression of the shoe with more abstract shapes. You never know how complex a shoe is until you try an paint it. Thanks for stopping by.

Michael

Apples and Grapes

I usually stay away from more than 2 object when I am painting small paintings. I've seen other artist make some beautiful small painting with enough objects to assist the composition. Thanks for stopping by

Semi-Profile

This is another portrait I painted last night. I always have trouble when I find a place in the open studio and the model is neither profile or 3 quarter view.

Ink Pot

6 x 6 Oil on Canvas

This painting was very difficult to take a picture of. I think it had to do with the higher contrast in the highlight area. This is my sumi ink pot that I use for brush work. The opening is too small, so I have to pour it into another container when I want to use it. Thank you.

-Michael

Sunrise Reflection

6 x 8 Oil on Canvas

I used a similar simple composition that I had before. I tried to get the look of fresh morning light, which is a little harder then you think being that it was 11 p.m. On my previous attempt I left too much negative space in the background. After looking at the painting I like the background better, but there is confusion on the star of the show. Too many equals. Have a great day.

-Michael Williamson

Complimentary Lady

12 x 16 Oil on Canvas

I completed this during an Open Studio session at night time. I have been working on painting one color spot next to another. One disadvantage I have with this is that the original drawing or block in gets a little distorted. I have been working on using a mirror and looking backwards at the painting to help my brain get a different perspective when the model starts the pose. I use the first minute to correct any problems in the drawing. then I look at the mirror and I look for value placements. I usually notice them right away with the mirror. It's funny how the human brain gets used to something and it doesn't notice these differences.

That is why it's good to join a painting group with very skilled artist so you can see how they translate something into paint. Thank you for viewing.

-Michael

Shining Blue

6 x 6 Oil on Canvas

We just moved and everything went into hiatus. I felt like I have been moving things for the past 6 weeks. Things have began to settle slightly and I started up making small paintings again. I love these things!! My life is crazy so the only time I have to paint is at nighttime. I learn so much from a small painting and it's instantaneous feedback.

-Michael Williamson

Man Reading.



12 x 16 Oil on Canvas

I made this portrait a couple of weeks ago when I had Friday off so I could attend a daytime open studio. The model kept moving to drink his coffee and read the newspaper. One of my weakpoints is painting glasses. I tried to paint as little as needed to show the form.

-Michael

Lady In Red



12 x 16 Oil on Canvas

This is a painting that was made at Scottsdale Art Open studio at night. I was trying to concentrate on hitting one color patch at a time. It has a thick brush work, but I lost the drawing as I was painting.

-Michael

Banana and Strawberry

6 x 8 Oil on canvas board

I have been working on small paintings with limited time. In a simple banana there is lots of value changes in the yellow skin.

Thank you for viewing my progress.

-Michael

Portrait_Young Man

                                               
                                                     16" x 20" Oil on Canvas

This is a portrait made at Scottsdale Art School the other night. I usually make my portraits very warm and it makes them look non realistic. I have been trying to paint more cool colors on the portraits. Thank you for viewing my progress.

-Michael

Portrait Painting

                                                 
                                                    11" x 14" Oil on Canvas

This was from a workshop I go to on Mondays. I was struggling to be bold with my brushstrokes. It was a struggle all night. I was able to bring it together at the very end so it would look human. I like the results. I think the painting came out very warm and I could have put some cooler spots on the flesh and added some warm spots on the beard. Thank you for viewing my progress.

-Michael Williamson

"Still Life with Lemon"

                                                    8" x 10" Oil on Canvas

When I was making this painting I was trying to stick within a 2 hour time limit. I was attempting to make the lemon the primary interest and then lead the eye back to the grapes then to the bottle. I wanted the shadow to bring the eyes back to the lemon again. My wife says the shadow is too close in value to the bottle. I didn't want the bottle to compete with the star (Lemon), but in hindsight I think she might have been right and I could boost the bottle up a value.

Thank you

-Michael

"Solemn moment"

                                                    8" x 10"  Oil on canvas

  I bought this stone head at the dollar store and then painted it white. It was very difficult to paint with my three hour time line. Currently, I use only three primary colors and white and then mix them to obtain all the secondary colors. It is a very difficult system by using less, but I feel it gives more food to the brain to work on problems.

In the future I would like to stick to weekly themes for still life painting to help focus on a problem. Maybe even a "problem of the week" type format.

Thank you

-Michael

Portrait

                                                       16" x 20" Oil on masonite

Portrait

                                                      20" x 16" Oil on Canvas

      This was painted from a portrait session I went to last night. I've been painting a lot, but I have been trying to be more selective on paintings I put up.

"Oranges"

                                             6" x 6" Oil on Canvas


     I made several paintings in the last few days and I just had to wipe them off because I wasn't happy with them. I liked the complimentary colors interacting with the orange and blue on this one. When I looked through the viewfinder the composition looked good, but after I finished I realized it was a little heavy on the right side. I have to take more time to set it up even though it is late at night. Thank you for viewing my progress.

-Michael

Tequila and Lime

                                            5" x 7" Oil on Canvas      

          I got a little inspired with Tequila. After I finished, I realized that the composition was too stifled and didn't allow further exploration of the canvas. I also used water instead of tequila and the water looks a little cooler and more to the power of blue. I guess I didn't trust myself with the tequila.

-Michael

"Tea Time"

                                          
                                             6" x 6" Oil on Canvas

    I have always drawn the figure for most of my life so it is a challenge to set up a still life and make a painting from it. I limit myself to three hours and try to paint as small as possible. I use big brushes so I'm still trying to gain control on such a small area.

Thank you for viewing my art.

-Michael

"Big and Little Friends"

                                          8" x 10" Oil on Canvas

After work and the little ones go to sleep I get started in my garage studio and make a still life painting within a three hour time line. I liked the way the larger red apple color stands out from the complimentary green..

"Cup with Branch"

                                           8" x 10" Oil on Canvas

I was trying to make the cup the main subject of the painting. I made the branch abstract shapes in attempt to draw the eye to  the cup.

"Red with Orange."

                                       
                                        8" x 10"  Oil on Canvas


                                            

"Reflecting Orange"

                                                         5"x7" Oil Painting on canvas.

This is my first attempt at painting a brass object. It was hard to look at each color separately and paint it as it is.

"Dos Gourdos"

                                           8" x 10"    Oil on Canvas



I have decided to become a daily painter to help increase my skill level and join a growing group of artist displaying their work online.  I plan on producing one painting a day during the work week and sometimes on the weekend. Some of these artist are extremely talented and dedicated and they speak very highly about being a daily painter. I would like to emulate their dedication and increase my ability.

Thank you for taking the time to view my art.

Michael Jay Williamson