Wrapping up 2011

Radishes, 20 x 20 cm, oil on canvas, ©2011 Julie Galante. [SOLD]

2011 has been a wonderful year for me and my art career. I’ve painted more than ever. My paintings have found their way onto the walls of so many new collectors. I’m ending the year full of ideas for future projects. Things are good!

For 2012, I’m looking forward to keeping up my momentum in the studio. They say that an artist should have three exhibits’ worth of work on hand at any given time, and next year I’d like to actually do that. I’m also planning to explore new avenues for exhibiting and selling my paintings both in person and online. I’m excited to see where my art takes me next.

I am so grateful to all of you who have visited this blog and followed my progress during this past year. Thank you! And I’ll be back with more paintings and posts after the holidays.

Tags: daily painting, oils, painting, still life, thoughts, vegetables

Day 26: chili peppers

Chili Peppers, 15 x 15 cm, oil on canvas, €65, ©2011 Julie Galante.

I felt like doing something a little different today, and that ended up being this palette knife painting of chili peppers. For the most part I used the colors straight out of the tubes. I was going for simple shapes and bright colors. All that thick, shiny, wet paint proved hard to photograph, but hopefully I’ll get a better shot of it later.

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), most of the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month are already there! Christmas cards, too.

Tags: Art Every Day Month, daily painting, painting, still life, vegetables

Day 24: Thanksgiving dumpling squash

Dumpling squash, 13 x 18 cm, oil on canvas, €70, ©2011 Julie Galante. Original painting available for sale on Etsy.

If there were any wall space whatsoever in my kitchen, I might like to hang this painting in there. It reminds me how tasty these squash are. Can’t wait to roast up the models for lunch!

This Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful for all of you who take the time to look at my art, comment on posts, and in general offer support to me as an artist. I couldn’t do it without you!

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), most of the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month are already there! Christmas cards, too.

Tags: Art Every Day Month, daily painting, oils, painting, still life, vegetables

Day 21: Brussels sprout snake

Brussels sprout stalk, 24 x 18 cm, oil on canvas, €120, ©2011 Julie Galante.

I never really thought about how brussels sprouts grew until a stand at our local farmers market started selling stalks of them. This painting is just the very top of the stalk. The whole thing is a few feet long and has little sprouts growing the whole way down.

At first I wasn’t entirely happy with this painting, but after a bit it started growing on me. Turned on its side, it looks kind of like a skeletal snake-monster.

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month are already there! Christmas cards, too.

Tags: Art Every Day Month, oils, painting, still life, vegetables

Day 18: Christmassy onions and garlic?

Onions & garlic & greenery, 24 x 18 cm, oil on canvas, €120, ©2011 Julie Galante.

Hey, if the Germans can use pickles as Christmas tree decorations, why can’t I use garlic and onions? OK, perhaps it would not be the sweetest-smelling Christmas tree on the block.

These pine branches are fun to paint. Perhaps I’ll try to find something more christmassy (like clementines and cranberries) to include in my next still life with them.

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month (including the first leaf painting) are already there!

Tags: Art Every Day Month, Christmas, daily painting, oils, painting, still life, vegetables

Day 16: Christmas clementines and cranberries

Clementines and cranberries, 15 x 15 cm, oil on canvas, €65, ©2011 Julie Galante. Original painting available on Etsy.

A still life containing pine branches is automatically going to have a Christmas theme, isn’t it? This one started out as just clementines and branches, but as I was painting I decided it needed a small splash of red. Oh-so-conveniently, I had some fresh cranberries in the fridge. They made the perfect addition to the scene.

If you’ll be in Munich on December 4th, I hope you’ll stop by my Open Studio.

November is Art Every Day Month. I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop. Paintings from the beginning of the month (including the first leaf painting) are already there!

Tags: Art Every Day Month, Christmas, daily painting, fruit, oils, painting, still life

Day 14: juicy pomegranate

Open pomegranate, 20 x 20 cm, oil on canvas, ©2011 Julie Galante. Original pomegranate painting available on Etsy.

Pomegranates are one of my favorite fruits, both to eat and to look at. Turns out they’re also fun to paint.

If you’ll be in Munich on December 4th, please plan to stop by the Open Studio I will be hosting that afternoon. Details are coming soon and will be posted on my Facebook page. Invitations will also be going out to my mailing list – you can sign up here.

November is Art Every Day Month! I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop.

Tags: Art Every Day Month, daily painting, exhibition, fruit, oils, painting, still life

Day 12: I said I was done with leaves, but

Autumn leaves on blue, 20 x 20 cm, oil on canvas board, €110, ©2011 Julie Galante. Original painting available from Etsy.

I felt like doing another leaf painting today.

November is Art Every Day Month! I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop.

Tags: Art Every Day Month, daily painting, oil, painting, still life

Day 11: crepes and salad

Crepes and salad, 18 x 24 cm, oil on hardboard, ©2011 Julie Galante. Original painting available on Etsy. 

Brunch the other day – a colorful salad, a mushroom crepe, and and espresso macchiato. Tasty.

November is Art Every Day Month! I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop.

Tags: Art Every Day Month, oils, still life, vegetables

Day 9: more leaves

Autumn leaves on canvas, 20 x 20 cm, oil on canvas, ©2011 Julie Galante. [SOLD]

These leaf paintings have become almost meditative to make. This one is on canvas, whereas the first two were on canvas board. I wanted to see whether the technique (spreading on thick paint and then using the palette knife to sketch in the outlines and veins) would work as well on a soft surface. It worked out better than I expected.

I think this will be my last leaf painting for now. Time to look around for the next still life subject.

November is Art Every Day Month! I’ll be posting a new small painting here each and every day. After they have had time to dry (a couple weeks), the original paintings will also appear in my Etsy shop.

Tags: Art Every Day Month, daily painting, oils, painting, still life