A Few Figs
(16" x 16", oil on canvas)

The holiday season always brings a few special items to my local grocery store and this is week it was figs. Thank goodness I picked up quite a few of these beauties, as I cut open four before I found one with insides that I liked. The first three, while perfectly delectable, were too perfect for my taste. Lucky number four had a nice texture and uneven edges with the red centre bleeding slightly into the creamy outside edge.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Companionable Silence
(18" x 18", oil on canvas)

Although this piece has a fair amount going on, the elements work well together to create a quiet atmosphere. The bowl on the right was originally a larger green one, but changing it to a smaller black one allowed me to dissolve it more into the background and move towards a more cohesive composition.

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Off Center
(16" x 16", oil on canvas)

I love a square format, mostly because I believe it lends a contemporary look and feel to my otherwise classical work. A square canvas almost demands a centered composition, but I think I made this little canvas work by deliberately creating a balanced tension between bottle and fruit.

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Column of Red
(30" x 15", oil on canvas)

The exaggerated height to width ratio of this canvas further emphasizes the shape of the pitcher. Though I had originally sketched this piece out as a 24" x 12", going to a larger size challenged me to keep my brushwork simple yet believable.

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Imperfect
(24" x12", oil on canvas)

This old ginger beer bottle was loaned to me by a good friend and loyal follower of this blog (thank you Carol). As the title suggests I was drawn to it for its imperfect nature. Setting it on an old whitewashed wooden crate seemed a good marriage. Keeping the composition to basics allowed me the freedom to include some detail in the old nails and uneven wood.

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Reflections on Red
(18" x 24", oil on canvas)

This jug was the undeniable star at my recent show here in Montreal. Although for many years, red was almost a signature colour for me, recently my work had shifted focus from red to all things blue. Now, I'm ready for a change, so I'll take my cue from comments at my show and revisit the allure of red.

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Balsamic with Fruit
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

I love to paint and I love detail. Put those two loves together and there is an increased risk to overwork a piece. Here, I have left out some of my precious detail and kept my edges a wee bit ragged allowing more room for interpretation.

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Short and Sweet
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

My imperfect enamelware pitcher is shown to advantage here with the help of an elevated viewpoint. The repeating elliptical shapes create a kind of rhythm and the red/green/blue colour notes keep the composition fresh.

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Facets and Folds
(16" x 16", oil on canvas)

While I generally shy away from props with a formal personality, I fell in love with the faceted sides of this pitcher and knew they would introduce a geometric element not often found in my work. These edges, echoed in the sharp folds of the yellow cloth, are balanced by the organic shapes of the fruit.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Concerto for Pitcher
(18" x 36", oil on canvas)

If a concerto can be loosely described as having one solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra, then my white jug is that instrument and the remaining objects the orchestra. As classical music is my soundtrack of choice in the studio, it is perhaps natural that some compositions are derived from this art form. Likening the white pitcher to the full round sound of a cello is perhaps a stretch for most people, but not for me.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Kodachrome
(18" x 36", oil on canvas)

With a title borrowed from Paul Simon (and Eastman Kodak) I created my version of a saturated colour story. The bold reds, blues, oranges and yellows cover the spectrum but are held in check by the dark monochromatic background.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Blue Plums
(24" x18", oil on canvas)

There was a lot of delicious detail in this combination of elements, in particular the colourful reflections and bright highlights. While my original plan was for a smaller work, sizing up to a 24 x 18" gave me more freedom to include what I felt to be necessary to the success of this painting.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Red Plums
(15" x 30", oil on canvas)

Adding the worn cutting board to the background really brought this otherwise predictable composition together. The warm wood tones, as well as the strong back and forth horizontal, pull together the foreground elements making for a more cohesive composition.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Rainiers By the Pound
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

More goodies from the market...

I love to paint Rainier cherries, but this year they were very hard to find and I only got in two paintings. If I'm lucky, I'll see some early next spring.... In the meantime, it is harvest season and I'm off to the market again.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Forelles By the Pound
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

One of the pleasures of shopping at farmers markets is buying a little bit of everything "by the pound". I usually return home with many, many small paper bags filled with all kinds of goodies. Some to eat, but most to paint.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Herb Garden: Basil
(14" x 18", oil on canvas)

In this small painting I have combined the regular shapes of man-made objects with the organic shapes of basil and garlic to create a balanced contrast. Losing some of the hard edges of the bottle and bowl adds an element of intrigue to this little drama.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Herb Garden: Oregano
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

Although I do not have room for a large garden, I do have a rather extensive herb garden that I rely on through the summer months. This little piece features oregano, one of my most often used herbs.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

A Simple Abundance
(18" x 18", oil on canvas)

Simple abundance is far from a new concept. Sarah Ban Breathnach has sold countless books extolling the virtues of simple abundance. It can also be found in the writings of Deepak Chopra, the teachings of Ghandi, the words of Solzhenitsyn, Buddha...and countless others. It is also an oft-occurring theme in my work as well as the work of other artists through the centuries. Whether in the form of a book, a poem or a painting, I am convinced everyone can appreciate the merit of this concept.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Night Light
(15" x 30", oil on canvas)

Focused light, moving left to right, strikes the edge of the indigo fabric creating a streak of blue/white to reveal some of the colours in the grapes before hitting the cut fruit and stoneware. A few more grapes and a golden apple stop the viewer's eye from continuing off the canvas.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Aubergine
(24" x 36", oil on canvas)

This week I’m featuring a more ambitious painting with lots of texture and variations in colour and shape. As the title suggests, I started with the eggplant and built my composition outwards, adding various related elements until I felt I had a complete story.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Stoneware and Fruit
(16" x 16", oil on canvas)

Here’s another quiet painting, very similar to last week's offering. These stoneware crocks (I have 3 in various sizes) are a joy to render. Their basic form and colour provide a perfect surface that I can use to reflect all the local colours of the composition, almost creating a painting within a painting.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Tonal Study
(16" x 16", oil on canvas)

After months of working with brighter colours, I find myself drawn to simple, more tonal compositions. Without bright colours to keep the eye entertained, more focus is spent on placement of the objects and the creation of tonal variations.

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Blue Trim
(18" x 18", oil on canvas)

What enamelware may lack in grace is balanced out by its undeniable charm. This little jug is a case in point. The sides have an ever-so-slight bulge and the spout is almost ridiculously small — and yet, rather than detract from its form, these oddities actually add to its appeal. The bright blue trim adds a great colour spark and provides a crisp contrast to the white.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Five Forelles
(18" x 24", oil on canvas)

My goal here was to balance the highly saturated colours of the pears and bowl with the neutral tones found in the cloth and jar. With the foreground cloth providing a great deal of detail, I thought it best to keep the background almost flat.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Crowd
(15" x 30", oil on canvas)

I've always enjoyed working on canvases with a one to two proportion and thought I'd try a new larger size than my usual 12" x 24". Just a few additional inches each way adds a lot of presence to this piece and allows me to crowd the composition with lots of bright colours and textures.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Tabletop
(24" x 18", oil on canvas)

This elevated point of view gives me a large ground of bright white tabletop on which to set sparkling bright reds and greens and accentuates the note of drama created by the shadow in the background.

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Favourite Blue Bowl
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

While I was busy having fun with my minneolas, everyone around me was commenting more on the blue bowl. So, here it is, once again!

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Dolce Vita #6
(18" x 24", oil on canvas)

This piece is a more quiet take on last week's piece where I've used analogous colours to create a more relaxing atmosphere.

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Dolce Vita #5

(18" x 24", oil on canvas)

As I continue to receive positive comments on my wine series, I decided to revisit this subject focusing more on fresh fruit.

This composition has a great mix of saturated colours, consequently I found myself using an extensive range of pigments including four yellows, three reds, three blues, a green, one earth tone and a white. Phew!

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Melon Half
(20" x 30", oil on canvas)

It’s always fun to cut open a fruit and see what surprises are revealed. While my intention was to cut this cantaloupe in wedges, once I saw the "half cut" I changed my composition to focus more on the great colour and wonderful textures of the ovoid shape.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Blue Bowl and Minneola
(12" x 24", oil on canvas)

This painting is another take on last week's piece, with a few changes and substitutions. While the most remarkable difference is in the format, colour also plays an important role in taking this concept from languorous to lively. The larger and greener grapes provide more of a colour jolt and the bowl is a more saturated blue. I like both paintings, finding each to have its own distinguishing aesthetic

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Minneolas
(12" x 36", oil on canvas)

While I admit this is a rather unusual format, I found it suited my subject matter beautifully by further emphasizing the casual left to right roll of the fruit, as well as the unravelling peel. The thick skin and contrasting pith of the minneola adds a nice dimension and texture to this lovely fruit.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Muscat Grapes
(20" x 30", oil on canvas)

Although these particular Muscat grapes are called "pink", they are, in reality, a breathtaking combination of translucent reds and greens. I composed this piece around the grapes, choosing items that would support this nuanced colour mix.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Sweet Ambrosia
(24" x 24", oil on canvas)

I had originally purchased these lovely apples to appear in my wine series, but after having them sit around in my studio for a few days I realized just how magnificent they were on their own. This simple composition hinged on creating an interesting pattern with the graphic shapes of the cut apples.

And to be honest, I just loved working with apples called Ambrosia, meaning food of the gods.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Miche et miel
(12" x 24", oil on canvas)

A neighbour of mine works at our local patisserie and, knowing I was interested in bread as a painting subject, dropped this "miche" by my studio. The inside texture of a loaf can be amazing and once I cut this one open, I knew I had the beginnings of an interesting composition. The old fashioned style of this bread inspired this unassuming composition using simple honest fare.

I am fortunate to live and work in a community where many folks know what I do and are ready to contribute a favourite vase or bowl, treasured family heirloom, or in this case, a loaf of bread... Merci encore Sylvie pour votre délicatesse !

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Dolce Vita #4
(18" x 36", oil on canvas)

The fourth in my Dolce Vita series has an even more banquet-like feeling, with lots of colour to "feast" on. Although I have really enjoyed working on this series, I feel it might be time for a break. Oftentimes doing the same subject over and over can lead to a form of complacency; so I want to put this subject aside for a while before I reach that point. My plan is to come back to this with fresh enthusiasm at some point in the future.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Dolce Vita #3
(18" x 36", oil on canvas)

After completing two smaller paintings I felt ready to tackle a larger, more involved piece. I used lots of textures here and was especially pleased to find a pomegranate at this time of year.

Again, because of the perishable nature of the cheese and fruit, particularly under hot spotlights, I had to work quickly. To extend the life of my props, each night I wrapped the individual pieces and refrigerated everything, rebuilding my set each morning.

New Diary of a Painting:
I kept a visual and written diary of this painting. To see it, please click here.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Dolce Vita #2
(18" x 24", oil on canvas)

This second composition in my Dolce Vita series has the same basic structure as the first, but has a stronger element of complementary colours. Also, the powerful graphic shapes of the cheeses add a dynamic element to the arrangement.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Dolce Vita, #1
(18" x 24", oil on canvas)

This painting was inspired by my recent research into BC's Okanagan Valley, known in part for it's vineyards and wine festivals. This is the first piece in a series that I am titling Dolce Vita, or, good life, as represented by the bounty of the area. Compositions such as this are endless in their variety of colours and textures, a feast for both the palette and for the eye of the artist. The only possible drawback being a rather "fragrant" studio as the cheeses melt under my hot lights.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Grapescape
(18" x 36", oil on canvas)

I have remarked here before that some paintings seem to paint themselves; such was definitely not the case here.

I started with a 12" square canvas of grapes sitting on that lovely white packing paper they often come shipped in. Once I was satisfied with my composition, I headed out to buy fresh grapes to replace the now wilted ones on my set. Back in my studio the new grapes would simply not sit right, and as a result of my fiddling around, the once crisp paper had lost its fresh shape. Frustrated I replaced the paper with waxed paper and though it did not have the same form, this paper did have a nice translucent quality. But now, instead of height, I had a width...and the width required more elements to make a satisfactory composition. Long story (and 3 alternative formats) short, I arrived at this painting.

Years ago, I naively believed that painting would be become easier as I gained experienced. Not so. As the bar is raised, it has actually become harder. Perhaps my next piece will be one of those elusive paintings that paints itself.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Honey & Lemon
(20" x 30", oil on canvas)

The traditional pairing of honey and lemon brings to mind the comforts of home. I created this painting with that same thought in mind, and perhaps to offer an antidote to March weather and the seemingly endless days of winter.

News
I am very pleased to announce that I have joined Tutt Art Galleries in Kelowna, BC. http://www.tuttartgalleries.com/

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Forelle Four
(12" x 24", oil on canvas)

Despite their diminutive size, these pears pack a great colour punch. By placing them on a highly reflective surface, I was able to exploit the colour further in the foreground. The black background was key in playing up the brightness of both the pears and vase.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Sonya Apples on Green
(24" x 36", oil on canvas)

The green cloth was a nice change of pace from my usual white and serves as a wonderful contrast to the reds and yellows of the apples. Keeping both the foreground and the background dark provides a heightened sense of drama and encourages the viewer's eye to concentrate on my main subject.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Cherry Glass
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

I picked up this glass months ago, drawn to its simple shape and fleur-de-lis motif. Its proportions sit comfortably in the square format and I felt the chunkiness of the glass contrasted nicely with the linear cherry stems and the delicate, frayed edge of the white linen.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Chardonnay
(24" x 12", oil on canvas)

In a world seemingly populated by drinkers of red wine, I often find myself alone in extolling the virtues of white. My white of choice is Chardonnay, and what better to pair with white wine than a few pears.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Triumvirate
(18" x 18", oil on canvas)

By positioning my light source to pass through both transparent bottles, I was able to pick up beautiful reflections of the red and yellow liquids, enlivening what may have been a rather sombre piece. I was also mindful not to over-work the delicately frayed edges of the linen cloth. (And while this little texture is simply a small detail, I loved the effect, so you may expect to see it resurface in another piece.)

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Three Onions and Five Onions
(12" x 12" each, oil on canvas)

Two more small onion pieces complete the set of 4. Rendering the various textures was a particularly enjoyable challenge.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Two Onions and Four Onions
(12" x 12" each, oil on canvas)

I so enjoyed working with the various colours and textures of last week's piece that I decided to pursue the subject with a series. These are the first 2 of 4 small paintings.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Onion Pyramid
(24" x 24", oil on canvas)

Happy New Year and welcome to the 5th year of Painting of the Week.

As is made evident by this painting, I do not have to look far for an interesting subject to paint. The humble onion, in its various forms, takes centre stage in this unorthodox still life.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.