"Banks Twp Park - Ice Chunks"

"Banks Twp. Park - Ice Chunks" -- plein air field study -- oil on canvas 8x16" -- Margie Guyot

It was another glorious, sunny day here, so I decided to venture up to Banks Township Park.  Pulled on my long underwear and ultra-heavyweight down coat.  And this time I wore hiking boots with ice grippers.  Unlike Barnes Park (see previous post), Banks Park lacks a steep hill, allowing the icy winds to sail right along. 

See that distant little point sticking out?  That's where I hiked to paint.  There's a rocky point that juts out and after my experience of falling into a crevass, I wanted to play it safe and stick to the rocks.  And I was so glad I'd bundled up.  The wind was brutally cold out there.

Things always are exciting out on that point.  I set my gear down and walked all around, looking for the most amazing spot.  What I loved was the little area of ice chunks that had floated into a cove.  Everything was freezing shut again.  The colors were subtle, but I was fascinated by this view.  Again, I'm looking south, towards Elk Rapids and Traverse City. 

One of the advantages to using a Soltek easel is the sides flip up, allowing the palette surface to be shaded.  Trying to mix colors on a palette that's in bright sunlight is pretty difficult.
After finishing this one I hiked around a little, but when my boot fell into another small crevass, I decided to quit when I was ahead!

"Granny Smiths"

"Granny Smiths" -- oil on canvas 24x24" -- Margie Guyot

I had the urge to paint another apple still life.  This time I wanted to do something with Granny Smith apples, since I'd painted quite a few Honeycrisps lately.  I love the green!  If you've been following my blog at all, you may have noticed I love painting vintage tablecloths as well.  And I don't shy away from painting folds and wrinkles, either.  What else is there to do, anyway?  Iron sheets?  Wash walls?  No, I'd sooner be figuring out how to paint things!

Often I'll decide on the color scheme before I set up a still life.  Years ago I was in a gallery out West when I realized that the paintings that seemed to jump off the wall were done in contrasting colors: red and green.  Orange and blue.  Lavender and yellow.  I love bright colors and a "this one's jumping off the wall!" type feeling, so much of the time I will consciously decide on contrasting colors before I set things up.

I've used this red and white tablecloth in several other paintings.  I snagged it in an antique store in Traverse City a year or two ago. 

The apples -- I'd planned on buying a bag of them, but the bagged ones all looked too green.  Like they weren't ripe yet.  Super-green, gill-grabbers!  So I had to pick out individual ones, going for the more pale ones at Meijer's.  A couple had faint tinges of red (all the better!).

And it was such a crazy week to try to paint!  A 6" snowfall, 2 rehearsals (I'm in 3 different musical groups), plus I taught 2 art classes and had art show opening at the Dennos Museum in Traverse City.  There were constant interruptions, but sometimes that's good, too.  It can be helpful to step away from one's painting, then come back to it to "see it with a fresh eye".

What's next?  A red apple with green tablecloth?  Possibly!

Blue & Orange Striped Pumpkin

 "Blue & Orange Striped Pumpkin" -- plein air field study -- oil on canvas 12x12" -- Margie Guyot

This was another great find in Traverse City, at the pumpkin stand last week.  All pumpkins were marked down to $1 each.  Such a deal!  It was raining cats & dogs, but I thoroughly enjoyed wandering around, picking out such fantastical pumpkins!  Where were these beauties when I was a kid?

We had another sunny day here yesterday -- an amazing thing for NW Michigan in November -- so I set up the trusty lawn chair in the yard, my Soltek, the BestBrella (to shade the back of my canvas) and got to work.  The 4 cats came by to check on me now and then.  Miss America (who is really a "he") jumped up onto my lap at one point.  He's the one who's broken so many of my glass vases.  At least he didn't jump up onto the wet palette.  

The temperature dropped dramatically as the winds picked up at 3:30 (as they usually do), giving me me a final urgency to finish. 

Lumpy Blue Pumpkin

"Lumpy Blue Pumpkin" -- plein air field study -- oil on canvas 12x12" -- Margie Guyot

Isn't this the coolest pumpkin?  I found it at a roadside stand by Traverse City a couple weeks ago.  To me, it looks a bit on the blue side.  And the lumps just made it even more amazing!  

 

At first I set it down in the green grass, where I'd painted my other pumpkins.  But since it's rather blue-ish, I thought it might look better in warmer rust tones -- dry grass and fallen leaves.  

 

The sun struggled to come out this afternoon.  And it was pretty chilly.  I had to wear my down winter coat to paint this.  The wind was pretty steady, blowing my hat off a couple times.  But at least there were no mosquitoes!

 

Right after I finished painting, the light rain started.  Great timing! 

Demitasse and Orchid

"Demitasse and Orchid" -- oil on canvas 36x48" -- Margie Guyot

Running WAY behind on my posts!  Trying to catch up.  This painting I did a few years ago.  Right now it's hanging in Gallery 50, in Traverse City, in their "Art of Food & Wine Show".  They had a chef judging the artwork this time and he awarded mine "this is so intense" award.  Which I take as a compliment!  I'd be horrified if it got a "this is so trite" award.  Or a "Thomas Kincade Wannabe" award.

It was really challenging to paint!  The "tablecloth" was fabric from Jo Ann Fabrics.  The pale green napkins were from a garage sale.  I'd found the red & white striped demitasse cups at a consignment shop.  They knocked my socks off, so I HAD to try painting them!  Ascending spirals on vertical tubes -- just try painting those!  Many wipe-outs.  

Other "many wipe-outs" occurred while attempting to paint the wooden stand the orchid is sitting on.  I always work from life, never from a projected photograph, so the trouble happens when I stand and look, then step forward to paint, then step back to look -- and by standing in just a fraction of an inch differently, the angles all look different.  So it's a struggle.

Because I paint from life, some things rot before the painting is finished.  Waste not, want not: I painted the bowl of strawberries quickly as possible, then ate them.  And the cookies -- same way.  Painted them & ate them.  Then it was on to other things.

That orchid was wonderful.  It lasted for months.  I did 3 or 4 paintings of it before it finally dropped its flowers.  It's still alive here, but hasn't bloomed yet this summer.  Maybe it's mad at me?

Iris

 "Iris - Peking Summer" -- oil on canvas 6x6"

 "Iris - Honkey Tonk Blues" -- oil on canvas 6x6"

 

 "Iris - Stairway to Heaven #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6"

 

 "Iris - Good Show #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6"

 

 "Iris - Stairway to Heaven #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6"

 

 "Iris - Good Show #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6"

 

With the arrival of tourist season up here, we artists have been a flurry of activity, varnishing, framing, schlepping paintings hither and yon to galleries, and I had fallen behind on my blog posts!  These are the latest paintings I've done this past week.  A friend had called me on Monday, asking if I'd like to join her and a couple other painters at the Iris Farm, west of Traverse City.  So glad I went!

It was like stepping into Heaven!  Not only was it beautiful -- acres and acres of beautiful flowers in every color, but the smell was wonderful.  Sunny and perfect!

 

Before painting, I took an order form and walked around, picking out varieties I wanted to buy.  I ended up with 13, although I'd have loved to have one of everything.  

 

It was pretty hot: about 90.  So I only painted 1 little 6x6" there (the "Peking Summer").  I cut stems from the other varieties and brought home to paint in my cool studio.  I'd cut 4 but it looks like only 3 would open. 

 

The iris were unlike any I'd seen before: huge and many were very ruffled.  I'm so used to seeing older varieties.  Iris that somebody's great grandmother brought over, very small and unadorned.  So it was pretty exciting! 

Cupcake Party!

"Cupcake Party" -- oil on canvas 30x40" -- Margie Guyot

After finishing painting just about every variety of cupcakes that Simplycupcakes makes, I wanted to pull them all (OK, most) together for a bigger still life painting.  That's a vintage tablecloth under everything.  I loved the cheery tulips in it.  Had to throw a little vase of real tulips in as well, along with my favorite frog teapot, sugar and creamer set.  

We only had a couple days of sun while I was painting this, so every time the sun came out, I focused on painting the shadow shapes.  I think it's the shadow/light patterns that give a painting a feeling of reality.  

I'd never painted Depression glass dishes in the sunlight before, and they were an interesting challenge.  This painting has a feeling of "gay chaos" in it -- but isn't a good party a sense of "gay chaos"?

More Hint of Mint Cupcakes

 "Hint of Mint #4" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Hint of Mint #5" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

 "Hint of Mint #6" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

 "Hint of Mint #7" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

When I'd realized I'd sold the first 3 versions of "Hint of Mint", I realized uh-oh: I needed to paint more for some upcoming shows!   So I made a mad dash to Traverse City, home of Simplycupcakes.  The weather's been typically lousy (dark, gloomy, spitting snow), and given the choice between doing housework and painting -- well, there's no contest! 

More Chocolate Covered Strawberries!

 "Chocolate Covered Strawberry #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Chocolate Covered Strawberry #4" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

 "Chocolate Covered Strawberry #5" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Chocolate Covered Strawberry #6" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

 "Chocolate Covered Strawberry #7" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

This is such a beautiful-looking cupcake to paint!  From Simplycupcakes, in Traverse City, Michigan.  It's made of strawberry cake, topped with chocolate ganache, strawberry buttercream and a slice of a fresh strawberry.  I'd painted a couple of this one the day before and removed the strawberry at the end of the session.  Fed it to Henny Penny, the studio chicken.  These cupcakes hold up remarkably well, but I knew the strawberry slice would turn it funky in a hurry.

People ask why I'm painting multiple versions of cupcakes.  Well, I've got 5 shows this year and I need cupcakes in just about every one of them.  It's kind of a fun break, painting small canvases.  I've done so many large still life paintings, it's kind of a lark to work differently.  Each time I finish a canvas, I turn the cupcake a little to see a completely different view.  It's not like I'm copying the same finished painting.  THAT would be way too boring. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

 "Chocolate Covered Strawberry #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Chocolate Covered Strawberry #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

Len Mayhew, owner and baker at Simplycupcakes, made this gorgeous cupcake this morning.  Yes, that's a slice of fresh strawberry on the top.  Couldn't dilly-dally -- had to paint these as soon as I got home.  It's made from strawberry cake (!), with chocolate ganache, strawberry buttercream, fresh strawberry slice and sprinkles of some kind of sugar (little white balls).  It smells wonderful!

It was a typically cloudy, dreary day.  By 4 PM I had to quit painting -- it was just too dark to see what I was doing.  Since I plan on doing more paintings from this one, I removed the strawberry slice and gave it to Henny Penny, my studio chicken.  Packed the cupcake safely away (so the studio kitties won't lick it).  I've always got strawberries in the fridge, so I can easily cut a replacement.

Chocolate Cherry Royale

 "Chocolate Cherry Royale #4" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Chocolate Cherry Royale #5" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Chocolate Cherry Royale #6" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

I just realized that most people tend to prefer the paintings with the cherries on top.  So I had to crank out some more paintings of this one.  I think it's one of the prettier cupcakes from Simplycupcakes.  According to the website description, this one is composed of chocolate cake, cherry filling, chocolate ganache, vanilla buttercream, a cherry and shaved chocolate.  Whew!  Hard to resist eating this one!

Pina Colada

 "Pina Colada #4" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Pina Colada #5" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

More great cupcakes from Simplycupcakes, on Front Street, in Traverse City, Michigan.  When I started this cupcake series, I only did 1 painting of each variety.  But it didn't take long to realize I needed to do multiple "takes" on each cupcake.  I plan on using some in at least 2 shows coming up, plus I've been selling some paintings right out of my studio.  So I had to paint at least 2 more of Pina Colada.  

I've saved most all the cupcakes.  Some are approaching 2 months old.  They still look wonderful, although the cake part is hard as a rock.  The maraschino cherry on this one has fallen off onto the floor several times.  I just pick it up, pull off any stray cat hairs (!) and stick it back on.

 

More Raspberry Waltz Cupcakes

"Raspberry Waltz #6" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Raspberry Waltz #5" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Raspberry Waltz # 4" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

At the time of this posting, there must be some kind of glitch with Blogger.  It wanted to underline some of the text (above) and post it in blue.  I've tried several times to correct it, but it's "stuck".  Will see if I can fix it tomorrow.

Obviously, "Raspberry Waltz" is a favorite one I love painting.  I'd painted a series of 3 of this variety last month, when the baker used finely-chopped almonds.  This most recent batch had thin-sliced almonds.  I didn't think I'd like them, but I changed my mind.  I think they're more interesting to paint than the previous variety, with the itty-bitty fragments of almonds.  I'm not a big fan of painting little sprinkles -- the paint is always very wet and gooey by the time I go to add tiny dots, and it's kind of maddening.

Some painters might find it tedious to paint cupcakes, but I'm surprised to find that they're rather enjoyable.  Over the month or so I've been painting them, the frosting swirls no longer throw me into some kind of panic.  Each cupcake has a different look, a different side to it.  Almost like painting a portrait from different angles.  Amazingly, these cupcakes, from Simplycupcakes in Traverse City, Michigan, hold up very well.

I do plan on starting a large still life soon, however.  I'm thinking of setting up a party scene, with a vintage tablecloth, Depression glass dishes, flowers, and of course cupcakes....

Toffee Caramel Crunch

 "Toffee Caramel Crunch #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Toffee Caramel Crunch #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

 "Toffee Caramel Crunch #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

Lots of activity around my studio and house lately, so I got a little bogged down on my painting (and posting!) schedule.  Had some cabinets fixed in my kitchen and some lighting fixed (finally -- no more holes and dangling electrical wires!).  Had to spend an entire day emptying out the back room of my studio so the carpenters can get in next week to build some storage shelves for my still life props.  By the end of that task, I was so dusty, I had to take all my clothes off and throw into the washer -- even my down coat!  Thank goodness I'd had the wisdom to put on a dust mask.  Never a dull moment around here, even in winter!

Toffee Caramel Crunch: chocolate cake stuffed with buttercream, caramel and toffee topped with chocolate ganache and finished with buttercream, caramel drizzle and sprinkled with toffee. 

The most fun part?  Painting the caramel "drizzles".  My favorite view?  The last one.  This angle always reminds me of a fully-opened rose.

Chocolate Cherry Royale

 "Chocolate Cherry Royale #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Chocolate Cherry Royale #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

 "Chocolate Cherry Royale #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 

Earlier I'd done the "non-choclate" version of this cupcake.  That one has pink frosting and yellow cake.  Simplycupcakes came up with a new version, with chocolate cake, cherry filling, white chocolate buttercream, a cherry-covered chocolate on top, sprinkled with shaved chocolate.  Whew!  

 

I think this is a very pretty cupcake.  Almost reminds me of a tuxedo.  I really enjoyed painting it! 

Sticky Bun

"Sticky Bun" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

It's freezing rain out and too dark (and early in the morning) to start painting, so I'm trying to catch up on  my blog entries.  Fell behind recently.  This sticky bun is from a bakery in Traverse City.  Not Simplycupcakes -- they only do cupcakes.  I was with friends and we stopped for sandwiches at this bakery and that's when I spied the sticky buns.  Thought it would be interesting to paint one.

Blueberry Blast

 "Blueberry Blast #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Blueberry Blast #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Blueberry Blast #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

Running behind on my posts again!  I thought once Labor Day passed, life would quiet down.  But nooooooo!  These are 3 more studies from the fabulous bakery in Traverse City, Simplycupcakes. 

Lemon Love and Triple Chocolate

 "Lemon Love #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Lemon Love #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Lemon Love #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Triple Chocolate" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Triple Chocolate #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Triple Chocolate #4" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

Whew!  I'd been running behind on my posts!  Trying to catch up this morning.  All these cupcakes come from Simplycupcakes in Traverse City, Michigan.  They're no ordinary cupcakes.  Len Mayhew makes them from scratch every morning, in small batches.  The Lemon Love cupcakes have lemon curd filling and are topped with fresh lemon zest.  The Triple Cocolates have chocolate buttercream, chocolate ganache, etc.  They all smell wonderful!

I'm finding it interesting to zero in on each cupcake, examining it from different angles, rather like an astronaut approaching a new planet.  Hmmmm.... what does it look like over here?  

The most challenging part of painting these is the frosting patterns.  All the twists & turns!  So easy to go into a panic.  Painting these has been good for me.  I'm looking forward to starting a series of small flower paintings.  I figure if I can paint frosting swirls, then I sure as heck will be able to handle rose petals!

Butter Finger & Simply Delicious

 "Butter Finger #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6 -- Margie Guyot

"Simply Delicious #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

Realized I've been running behind on my posts!  These are the most recent cupcake paintings.  I'm trying to do at least 3 versions of each variety, seeing as how I've got 3 art shows coming up to paint for.  Each time I paint a cupcake, I turn it a little to get a new angle.  Doing identical paintings wouldn't appeal at all to me.  These are actually kind of fun to do.  Challenging, but fun.  A nice switch from the big still lifes, which I will get back to.

These are wonderful, gourmet cupcakes from Simplycupcakes in Traverse City, Michigan.  NOT like those nasty cupcakes from the grocery store!  Len, the owner, gives me these for free.  I've taken a few paintings down to him and he's got them up on the wall of the bakery, for sale.