The Gift of Cherries

“The Gift of Cherries”    10 x 8     Oil    $160     © Sharon Lewis

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            I enjoy painting cherries because of the many shades of red you find in them, they taste amazing, and as I discovered recently, they’re also really healthy. They are a great source of vitamin C and polyphenols (plant compounds that protect us from developing cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases). In a 2018 review of the effects of cherries, researchers found that cherries reduced exercise-induced muscle soreness, blood pressure, arthritis, and improved sleep, among other things. Scientists concluded that eating sweet or tart cherries decrease or prevent oxidative stress and inflammation and thus improve our health. Who knew this really pretty fruit could do all this?

            Happy Weekend!

 

Summer Snacks

 “Summer Snacks”       11 x 14     Pastel    $300     © Sharon Lewis

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             I wish I knew why I love painting pears so much. Sometimes I think it’s because, like clouds, I can see a multitude of beautiful colors in them. Maybe it’s because pears come in such different shapes and sizes – much like people. It could be because I enjoy painting rounded but slightly irregular shapes – again like people. Whatever the reason, I really enjoyed painting these three pears.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Lean on Me

  “Lean on Me”     8 x 10     Oil    $160     © Sharon Lewis

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            With all the grey, rainy weather lately, it’s a relief to be working on something colorful. Pears are fun to paint for their rounded shapes and their diverse colors. I love also how they can lean on one another helping each to stand steady, much like good friends. This week and every week, I am so grateful for the support of my friends. When things get scary, I know I can lean on them to help me stand steady. 

            A round of applause for good friends and Happy Weekend! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

 

Warm Colors in the Cold

 “Warm Colors in the Cold”      4 x 6     Oil    $70    © Sharon Lewis

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             I’ve been thinking a lot about good teachers lately. I’ve been lucky to have had good teachers in both my Psychology and my art careers. The teachers that stand out in my art career as being exceptional have been of course, excellent artists themselves but they have also been kind, especially when giving critical feedback (criticism is so important when you’re starting out but it can also be demoralizing). They’ve also been: generous (with both helpful information and praise), patient (as you continue to make that same mistake that they pointed out last time), good problem solvers (as they help you out of the mess you may have created), and passionate about art. I think of Karen Margulis when it comes to teaching pastel painting. She is one of the most dedicated and talented artist-teachers I know. I also think of Karen Appleton who no longer teaches oil painting but is an exceptional artist. I love her creativity, her kindness, and her compassion. I learned so much from these outstanding artists.  

The painting above is based on a modification of a still life that Karen Appleton set up for a class several years ago. 

Happy Weekend!

 

The Colors of Autumn Remembered

“The Colors of Autumn Remembered”      8 x 10     Oil    $ 200    © Sharon Lewis

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             It’s grey and brown outside now and I long for the colors that were just here the other day – the reds, yellows, and greens decorating my backyard and neighborhood. So, I paint pears the colors of autumn, to remember the joy of bright colors in spite of the cold grey of winter. 

            Happy Weekend!

 

Plum Beautiful

“Plum Beautiful”        6 x 6       Oil       $108        © Sharon Lewis

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            I found these beautiful plums in the grocery store some weeks ago and painted them from life. I noticed, like many things – and maybe like some people, they appeared perfect at first glance. It was only as I studied them and got to know them that I realized they had slight imperfections but were still beautiful. I think most of us are like that. Maybe we work hard to appear perfect, to hide our imperfections, because we’ve been taught they are signs of weakness. What I find interesting is that some of the most courageous people I know, are those who share their vulnerabilities. These are my brave and beautiful friends.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Small But Beautiful

“Small But Beautiful        3 x 3”       Oil        $25        © Sharon Lewis

            Even though I’m mostly a landscape artist, I love painting fruit from time to time. It’s easy to paint from life and if you don’t take too long to paint it, you have a healthy snack waiting for you in the end.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Erinn's Flowers

“Erinn’s Flowers”   8” x 10”       Pastel        $160        © Sharon Lewis

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             When I was visiting family recently, my son-in-law, Tyler surprised my daughter with these beautiful flowers. She placed them in a vase and put them on her kitchen island near a bowl of fruit. I loved the contrast between the beautiful blues and purples of the flowers and the lush red, yellow, and orange of the fruit and knew I wanted to paint it. And voila, here it is.

Happy Weekend! 

 

Pumpkin Party

   “Pumpkin Party”        8” x 10”         Pastel        $160       © Sharon Lewis

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             I enjoy painting pumpkins. I like trying to model the roundness and irregularities in their shapes and they also remind me that I love the color orange in nature. The color orange is a warm beacon as the temperatures gradually cool, and the leaves turn brown; it seems it’s nature’s accent color this time of year.

            Happy Weekend!

 

The Rose Family

 “The Rose Family”       8” x 10”         Pastel        $160       © Sharon Lewis

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I had no idea that apples were considered part of the rose family, Rosaceae. In addition to beautiful roses, this family also includes other delicious fruits  such as pears, cherries, peaches, strawberries, and several others. I love discovering new connections between things I love! 

By the way, the gold, sunshiny background I painted behind the apples was actually all the trees in their golden, fall foliage. This is one of the many reasons I wish fall colors lasted until spring.

Happy Weekend!

 

Holding Each Other Up

“Holding Each Other Up”         9” x 9”     Pastel     $100    © Sharon Lewis

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              I really enjoy painting organic, somewhat rounded shapes like pumpkins. I’m not sure if it’s because their irregular shapes are fun to paint or because I get to paint using different shades of orange which I only rarely use in landscapes. I think it’s also because painting pumpkins allows me to depict more serious subjects like the idea of supporting one another or accepting that we come in different shapes and sizes and that’s OK. 

            Happy Weekend! 

Harmony

   “Harmony”        8” x 10”       Pastel       $75       © Sharon Lewis
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            Although I’m primarily a landscape painter, I also love painting fruit. I love the rich, saturated colors in some fruits as well as the fun of modeling round, smooth objects so that you perceive a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface. It’s the magic of creating this illusion that I never get tired of.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Food of the Gods

“Food of the Gods”           8” x 10”      Pastel        $75         © Sharon Lewis

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            When contemplating what title to give this painting, I couldn’t help but think of Greek myths involving apples. In particular, I thought of Paris taking on the foolhardy task of choosing the most beautiful goddess and handing a special apple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. The apple he handed her promised immortality and anyone who ate it would never be hungry, thirsty, or ill. Then there’s the Celtic mythology that associates three apples (symbols of immortality, power, and prosperity) with the very important god, Lugh. So, whatever apples make you think of, I hope you enjoy these very cheerful and colorful apples.

            Happy Weekend!

 

Looking Out

“Looking Out”      9” x 8”          Pastel         $70     © Sharon Lewis

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             I’m normally a landscape artist but I have to admit I love painting still lifes on occasion. Sometimes it’s simply because I love painting with warm colors like these on a cold, grey, winter day.

What many non-artists don’t realize is that the challenges for still-life artists begin before they even start painting, with the choice of objects and how they will be arranged and lighted. I have tremendous respect for these artists, having watched some of the best ones, arranging and rearranging a set-up until it almost magically comes together in a beautiful design.

Happy Weekend!

 

Apples the Color of Fall

“Apples the Color of Fall”          Pastel              8” x 10”               $75             © Sharon Lewis
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As a landscape artist, I so enjoy the long hours of light in the summer but I also love the colors of fall! The reds, oranges, and yellow-greens always seem to be a wonderful solace for the shorter days and longer nights.  I hope wherever you are, you’re enjoying the cool, crisp, and colorful days of autumn.

Happy Weekend!

Autumn Beauties

“Autumn Beauties”    Oil            3” x 3”         $25       © Sharon Lewis
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            I love apples in the fall! I don’t seem to eat them much during the rest of the year but autumn is when they taste so delicious! And on a cold, gray, and rainy day, I found the reds and oranges in these apples so warm and inviting that I had to paint them.....especially before I forgot and ate them all!

            Happy Weekend!

We're All Pumpkins!

“We’re All Pumpkins”        Pastel             12” x 12”         $175       © Sharon Lewis
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            Given that Halloween is coming up soon, I was drawn to paint pumpkins this week. As I sorted through my reference photos, with the news on in the background, I kept hearing about all of the conflicts between humans. I couldn’t help but think of how pumpkins come in all different sizes and several different colors....like us. I imagined these pumpkins saying to the viewer, “Hey, we’re all pumpkins”!

             Have a Happy and Harmonious Weekend!

You’re Late!

“You’re Late!”             Pastel            8” x 10”               $75             © Sharon Lewis
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            Sometimes you have one idea for a painting with even a title in mind but your painting has other ideas. I had in mind a title which included the word harvest, but I couldn’t help but think this looks like two apples and one peach and then I pictured the apples kind of scolding the peach for waiting so long to grow and mature. Maybe it’s the news influencing my perspective?

When Apples Party

“When Apples Party”         Pastel             6” x 6”              $40          © Sharon Lewis
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            I wanted to try a slightly different composition for this apple painting. When I finished, I couldn’t help thinking of those parties where too many people gather in one small room….maybe because that’s where the life of the party is holding court….or maybe it’s where you and everyone else has migrated to in order to escape the guy in the other room telling the terrible jokes…..or maybe it’s just a really good party and everyone showed up. Whatever the explanation, I think these apples are having a great time!

            Happy Almost Weekend!

Autumn Heralds

“Autumn Heralds”           Pastel             8” x 10”       $75    © Sharon Lewis
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             We’ve been having swamp-like weather in the Atlanta area…very warm temperatures and air so humid it feels like you’re breathing soup. So, as I find myself longing for cooler, drier, if no less sunny, days, I’ve been looking for signs of fall. I’ve noticed that a few of the trees have started to change color, some have leaves already falling, and apples of all different colors and sizes are in the markets. These three apples proclaim to me that maybe, just maybe, fall is here.

            Hoping you’re enjoying the best of fall weather!