Sweet Clementine
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

After some large canvases, I was ready for a small format. Large works take a lot of concentration, and I have to be careful not to get disinterested after a few days of looking at the same objects. A small piece comes together more quickly and is a shorter commitment. This jug and fruit seemed a natural pair for a 12" square 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.

Citrus Brights
(24" x 36", oil on canvas)



While I originally had a white plate in the background, I swapped it for the red one at the last minute. While the white suited my morning theme better, the red raised the colour excitement to a new high. I have learned that it is often better to let my heart dictate decisions and leave my head to more mundane affairs.



A note: 

While placing my last order for supplies I mistakenly ordered Ultramarine Blue GS (green shade) instead of my usual French Ultramarine Blue... and what a happy mistake this turned out to be! Rather than return it, I thought I'd give it a try. The bright, fresh greens in this piece are made using this new blue and I have now added this colour to my palette.

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.

Mango
(14" x 18", oil on canvas)

Mangoes offer, quite simply, the most spectacular range of colour to the artist. However, the shape of the mango is another thing and quite a challenge. I’ve lost count of the number of compositions I tried before arriving at this one, although I think my frustrated attempts paid off quite handsomely with this small painting. And as a bonus, while I fussed and struggled, the mango ripened and became even more intensely coloured.

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.

Juice Bar
(18" x 36", oil on canvas)

"Juice Bar" is the sum total of the lessons I learned doing the small series of glasses, presented February 10, 17 and 24.

Again, the task with a large painting comprised of mostly perishable fruit, was to get down as much information as possible in the first two days of work. Over the years, I have developed my own way of "taking notes" with paint that allows me to bring a work to completion long after my set has changed from fresh to foul.

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.

Pure & Simple
(18" x 24", oil on canvas)

I built this composition around the clementine, and I did so quickly knowing that the attached leaf would not last long under my hot lights. After fussing around for a day I settled on this somewhat simple grouping and got down to painting. A few hours into the painting process I started to think that this was turning into quite a little gem. The brightness of the jug, the heat of the reds and oranges, the unexpected impact of the blue handle were all adding up to equal quite a powerful 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.

The Glass Series; Fruit Tonic and Cranberry
(14" x 10" each, oil on canvas)

Using fruit to define the glass was a fun challenge for Fruit Tonic, while the reflection of the tabletop in the dark juice provided added interest to the Cranberry piece.

This is the last pairing in the glass series as I am anxious to move onto some larger pieces. I've enjoyed this format and I may well come back to it... in fact I've a mind to try putting all six pieces together into one large 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.

The Glass Series: Pink Grapefruit and Mango
(14" x 10" each, oil on canvas)

Glass selection is key when choosing a size and shape for this series. While I have many glasses, not all are suitable for this shape canvas and the tone of the series. The colours of this pair were an absolute joy to work with.

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.