peanut butter cupcake, debbie miller, orange

6x6" oil on panel $100

 - the unofficial end of summer has come and gone (can you believe it?) but to me it's the official start of fall - my favorite time of year!!
Bring on the apples, pumpkins, brisk weather, football games and clogs.  I am ready.
Not to say I haven't TOTALLY enjoyed summer this year. In fact, if you've been wondering where the heck I've been (probably you don't give a hoot but I still feel the need to provide an explanation) well I've been in my backyard A LOT -
 gardening is my other passion and my interest wanes from time to time but this year with my painting in a slump the creative juices had to flow somewhere.  Painting,building,planting etc.  take a look here at what  I was up to ; http://pinterest.com/dgmiller1/my-garden/

Portrait Study,Debbie Miller

 10x10 oil
With my portrait studies, I use a pale orange ground, usually a burnt sienna thinned with turp. 
 Then I block in the lights and darks with an umber.
But my favorite part is getting to use that delicious cad. red light.  Nose,ears and corner of eyes.

 Here is the model.  Tomorrow the finished painting will be posted on the About Face blog.

 More Orange... "Woman on Orange" by Kerry Smith, here is an invite to his show.

Orange. Do you love it or hate it?

 6x6" oil on canvas.
Orange is one of those colors that people feel really strongly about. 
What about you? Do you love it or hate it? or is it just a 'meh' color to you?

 I happen to love it - especially for a ground for my paintings.  I've tried to paint with other grounds...even just white.  But nothing gets my juices flowing like a deep orange background.  HERE is an old post showing the background orange.

 Painting with it is super fun too.
 Check out THIS painting and THIS painting.
  


Sometimes the orange doesn't have to be the main event to pack some punch, like in THIS painting.

Last but not least: THIS is one of my favorite plein air paintings from a few years back.

So what do you say?  Enjoying some orange this week?  Share it with a link in the comments, we'ld love to see it!!