Owl

"Owl" -- oil on canvas 12x12" -- Margie Guyot

Years ago I found this at some old codger's garage sale in Livonia, MI.  Visitors to his house were greeted by a pair of bikini-clad manikins lying in lounge chairs, holding beer cans.  So you know he was a hoot (sorry about the pun).  Have been staring at this owl for 2 days, so everything is owl-related.  He'd painted this old, cast-iron owl white.  I fell in love with it.  Now it's beginning to rust, acting as a doorstop in my studio.  It's got a place for a candle inside.  Love the eyes!


I set it atop an old tablecloth and let me tell you -- painting those patterns & folds was a BITCH!  Still might tinker with it for a while.

Striped Pumpkin

"Striped Pumpkin" -- oil on canvas -- 24x30" -- Margie Guyot

The striped pumpkin was found at Oryana, a health food store in Traverse City.  It was horribly expensive: $8!  But it was way cool.  I had to have it for a painting!  

I found the green glass owl pitcher at a resale consignment shop in Charlevoix.  I just knew it would be fun to use in a painting.  To get the bright, green glow, I painted the area in pure white paint with Liquin (to help it dry faster).  Then I gave it a thin glaze of cadmium yellow and emerald green, mixed with Liquin.  The green light seemed to bounce off a lot of things.  Even bits of the feather in front and the lighter parts of the ceramic owl planter.


One thing I really love to do in still lifes is to show reflected lights and colors.  The clear glass pumpkin was great.  It just showed everything. 


If you're familiar with my still lifes, you might recognize the green striped glass.  I've used it in a number of paintings.  And no, painting it hasn't gotten any easier!  But it's just so interesting, I have to add it. 


While setting this one up in the studio, I noticed my dying sunflowers out in front.  Decided they'd look good in this setup.  


And those apples were really starting to turn soggy!  Figured I'd use them in this painting and then give them to my chickens.  Apples are so fun to paint.  I love the colors and reflections!  I could paint apples (or any fruit or veggie) all day long. 


Usually it's overcast here along Lake Michigan.  Luckily, the sun came out yesterday and today, so I carefully watched the shadow patterns.  It's the shadow shapes and highlights that make still lifes "sing".

Porch Ornaments

"Porch Ornaments" -- plein air field study -- oil on canvas -- 10x20" -- Margie Guyot

After finishing painting "Charlevoix Train Station", I felt discouraged.  It was dark and gloomy and rainy -- not a good day for plein air painting!  All of us painters were under the gun to come up with nice paintings, framed and turned in later that afternoon.  Everything looked so blah!  Oh, what to do, what to do!


I packed up my gear and left Charlevoix.  Went home.  I was hungry.  Made a salad for lunch and had a cup of Starbucks.  There had to be something I could paint!


Standing out on my front porch, I looked up and saw it: my next painting!  Bright, cheery and whimsical: it was perfect!  There was the little "flying fish" tincan sculpture by Rich Branstrom and the string of plastic owl patio lights.  It gave me goosebumps.  Goosebumps, for me, are always a sign that I should do it, to follow through on an impulse.  I couldn't stop smiling the whole time I painted this one.  This was my favorite painting (out of 3) that I did on Saturday for the annual Crooked Tree Art Center's Paint-Out.