Art Critic or Photography Assistant?

This is literally where and how I usually take pictures of my paintings.  The back of the kitchen has big windows, so the natural light is good.  I put the picture on top of a footstool we keep in the kitchen and this happens.

Usually, I move the cat before I take a picture.  It's always this particular cat.

I don't paint flowers very often.  When I do, especially a close up, it's easier to paint the values and value shapes without painting a flower.  Maybe it's because a close up flower reads as a more of an abstraction to me.  I'm not sure how to carry this over to my other paintings. For this one, it felt like my thinking brain took a break and my processing or visual brain took the lead.  I wish this happened more.  It can't be forced, but I can create the right conditions, hope it happens, and enjoy it when it does. 

#300 - Como Conservatory Orchid - 5" x 7" - paper

I still like painting things which have big areas of white in them, which is hysterically funny to me since in most aspects of my life I've never met a loud bright color that I didn't like.  It's weird, but for some reason I tend to dull down my colors in my paintings.  Too much, I think.  Often when I'm done, I will look at something and think I should have let the colors pop a bit more.

White is fun to paint, because it isn't white.  While it's not visible from the picture, one thing I noticed in my picture was that the white on the left side of the flower was warmer than the white in the more shaded part on the right.  I tried to capture that.

This one and some of my other 5" x 7" paintings are for Art 4 Shelter.  This year the event is on May 15th and it's in a new location.  It's a great event!  Mark your calendars.  Plus, it's never too early to send them submissions.  Here are the guidelines.