Welcome to Margie Guyot's updated blogsite! I do plein air landscapes plus studio paintings of still lifes in oil. You may still visit my older blog (greatlittleoilpaintings.blogspot.com) to see everything painted prior to 2010.
"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"?
"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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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....
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
"Butter Finger" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
I think my waistline is growing thicker, just by LOOKING at these things! This one is called "Butter Finger", described in Simplycupcakestc website as: dark chocolate cake topped with Peanut Butter buttercream and sprinkled with butterfinger candy.
This cupcake is safely tucked back into its box, in the refrigerator, waiting to be painted again. I've got jazz ensemble rehearsal this morning, but maybe I can get back to my studio again this afternoon.
Standing in front of my north studio window, I saw a movement of some kind. Looking closer, I saw a mink staring at me! He was under a pile of lumber. Then he took off, bounding through the snow, back out into the swamp! I love it here.
So this is another new selection from Simplycupcakes of Traverse City (Michigan). It's carrot cake, topped with chocolate ganache, white Italian buttercream and finished with finely chopped walnuts. I've never been too interested in carrot cake with chocolate, but the smell was ravishing! And no, I didn't eat this one. I'm going to try to paint a 3rd view of it tomorrow.
The swirl formations just captivate me! I really enjoy painting a view from directly overhead. The view is something reminiscent of a galaxy. Or maybe a rose or a lily.
And I love the way the swirls also remind me of ski trails on a mountainside. Not that I ski, but I'm imagining it. So far, I'm having a good time painting these little "fluffs". It's kind of a nice change from painting the big, complicated still lifes. I'm not giving up on those, though. I just needed a bunch of little cupcake paintings for a show coming up this fall. Stay tuned!
This one's a real cutie: yellow cake with buttercream frosting, topped with sprinkles and a little heart. I bet Simplycupcakes will sell a TON of these this Valentine's week. This was the last one I painted yesterday afternoon and I had to quit. The sun was setting and I cannot paint under artificial lights. The glare on the wet paint is confusing. And the colors never turn out right.
After painting this one, I thought I should finish assembling the rabbit cage. While prying a metal clip off, it suddenly flew off like a rocket, hitting me in my right eye! Thank goodness it hit in the corner and my reflexes were quick. Another fraction of an inch over and I probably would have blinded myself! It stung like hell. Oh boy. I always wear glasses when using power tools. Or when I'm cutting brush, mowing the lawn.
It was a Sunday afternoon and I didn't know if I should go to an emergency room or not. Fortunately, one of my friends had worked at an eye doctor's office and she told me I'd probably just scratched my cornea and it would heal quickly. She said to put warm, wet compresses on it.
Happy to report this morning that my eye feels a lot better. Still a little sore, but I can see fine. Good heavens. Maybe I should wear glasses whenever I pick up ANY tool!
"Hint of Mint #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
"Hint of Mint #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
"Hint of Mint #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
However garish the green frosting might seem to some of you purists, as an artist, I enjoyed painting these. A new color is a treat. For 30 years I worked on the assembly line at Ford Motor Company. Our plant made Lincoln Town Cars. I always paid attention to the car colors. I had my favorites. At the beginning of every model year, I had hopes for new, exciting colors. But they were Lincolns: very sedate colors -- grays, browns, black, navy. One year they had 3 shades of white! Oh, boo-hoo! How I longed for turquoise! So you can see how much I'm enjoying this green frosting.
Hint of Mint is another wonderful creation from Simplycupcakes, a gourmet bakery in Traverse City, Michigan, that specializes in nothing but cupcakes. This one is chocolate cake with mint buttercream frosting, topped with an Andes Mint. The smell --- oooh la la!
I'm trying to do at least 3 paintings from each cupcake. Each one I try to do slightly differently, turning it at a different angle, exploring the many "moods". I especially enjoy looking straight down at it (#2 here). It looks almost like a miniature galaxy. Gives the viewer the impression that he/she is about to fall face-first into it. Whatta way to go, eh?
One of my artist friends came over today to spend the day visiting and sharing my studio. She decided to paint a purple hyacinth and I worked on this very tempting chocolate cupcake. It's another creation from Simplycupcakes in Traverse City, Michigan. Their website describes it as:
Mocha : Dark chocolate cake topped with mocha flavored buttercream and finished with a chocolate covered espresso bean.
After I finished painting this, we decided it was time for a lunch break. My friend had brought homemade soup. Once we had 2 bowls full, we declared it dessert time -- and of course you can guess what we had! Split in half, I figured it wouldn't kill me, calorie-wise. And goodness sakes -- it was delicious! We also had 2 glasses of champagne with it. Ha ha!
"Funky Monkey" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
Started the day with the goal of painting 3 versions of this and only managed to paint one. Some days are like that! From Simplycupcakes in Traverse City, Michigan, it is described as:
Funky Monkey : A banana cake filled with peanut butter buttercream topped with chocolate ganache and more peanut butter buttercream and a banana chip.
The swirls: always a challenge! Once I finish a painting, I like to turn the cupcake a little to get a different swirl pattern. Why paint multiple versions of an identical scene? That would bore me to tears.
Years ago when I was in a landscape painting class, the instructor took a dislike to me (? why???) and said, "Obviously this comes easy to you!" Huh???? I was shocked. I said, "No, it's hard for me. I always set up and look at the scene and think good grief -- this is going to be tough! But I just keep plugging along, figuring things out as I go."
Painting, for me, is like taking an algebra test. When the instructor hands it to me, I initially freak out. All those problems frighten me. I flip through all the pages until I see a problem I think I can do. I do that one, then hunt for another problem I can handle. One solution feeds the next solution. And so it is with painting. I start out with a basic outline, very rough, to figure out where to place it on the canvas. Then I figure out what space the frosting will occupy. The paper cup -- how much does that cover? And so on. I have to control my panic when figuring out the twists of the frosting. Then I start in on the darks. It all goes like that, working from dark to light. For most of the painting process, it looks pretty bad! But, like Clyde Aspevig told our class one time, while doing a demonstration painting, "This is the point at which beginners would quit. But I know how to fix it!"
That's why I tell people, "Making a good painting involves learning how to control your panic!"
Betty Edwards, in her book, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", teaches how you can learn to ignore that part of your brain that wants to tell you it looks awful! You can't draw! Great book! It changed my life.
"Peanut Butter Cup #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
"Peanut Butter Cup #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
"Peanut Butter Cup #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot
This cupcake smelled so wonderful, I drooled while painting it! This is another one of the selections from Simplycupcakes in Traverse City, Michigan. I've been trying to resist eating all the cupcakes I've been painting, but this time I just had to try it. Dark chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting, topped with a little Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. And it was delicious!
The snow was still blowing on Thursday morning, but it wasn't too bad, so I made the 45 minute drive down to Traverse City, to Simplycupcakes. They're a gourmet cupcake bakery on Front Street. Their cupcakes are nothing like those horrible, day-glo cupcakes from the grocery store! Len Mayhew, the owner, is generously providing me with cupcakes to paint. Some will be for sale in the bakery; others are going to galleries. A bunch will be in a big show at Crooked Tree Art Center in Petoskey this fall, in their "Let Them Eat Cake!" show.
This cupcake is described on the Simplycupcake's website as:
Raspberry Waltz : An almond flavored sour cream cake topped with a raspberry sauce and white buttercream with toasted almonds and a fresh raspberry.
I'm trying to paint each cupcake at least 3 times. Rather than make carbon copy views, I like to vary them, moving the cupcake around a bit, maybe zeroing in on it from above. As if you're about to take a bite. I am trying to keep the background and shadow pattern consistent, though.
So far, I'm enjoying painting these little things. It's a nice break from the big still lifes for the time-being.
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