Little Bottle and Garlic

Oil on panel, 9x12

Garlic is an interesting object for studying color - value, temperature, and, for its light, shadow, shade, reflective light, hard and soft edges, etc. It's so perfectly white all around until the spot light gives it its character.

At one point, I had to change the garlics and reposition them because when they didn't have the pointed bottom they were harder to make looking like garlics. When I started painting them they looked like purple little tomatoes. It was hilarious!

Please email me if you would like,

Or visit my web site to see more of my work.

Thanks for viewing!

"Little Brown Vase"

Oil on Gessobord, 11"x14"

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Sometimes, setting up subject matter to paint is more difficult than painting. In the studio, we juggle with the objects and try to come up with a worthy setting to paint. Often times it's a hit and miss. But the spotlight is always a lifesaver. It can suddenly bring the setting to life and create a dramatic effect. The kind of the light gives a particular temperature to the setting, ranging from cool to warm. The table cloth and the material in the background make a big difference, too.

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Six of my small paintings, mostly abstract, have be chosen to the 

West Valley Arts Council Mini Miniatures Show 

located at The Citadelle plaza at 19420 N. 59th Ave. Suite #A104, Glendale, AZ 85308

The exhibition will go from July 8th till August 10th.

 The opening artists reception is on July 8th from 6 to 8 PM.

Please stop by to see my work and many other wonderful artists work.

The artwork will be for sale, too.

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To see more of my paintings, please visit my web site.

If you're interested to write,  my email is here.

Fruit Basket

Oil on Canvas, 16x20

I'd like to say this is done, but still have reservation about the color temperature on the left. I will only glaze it with warmer color and hope I don't end up overworking it.

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Please email me if you would like, or visit my web site,  or my blog to see more work.

Thank you so much for viewing

"Green Tomato"

"Green Tomato", Oil on Canvas, 8"x10" $200

Happy New Year!

May the new year brings you health, wealth and prosperity.

And may we all be kind to one another.

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I've been traveling back and forth to Chicago during the Christmas season; saw my daughter, Wendy, and son-in-law, Jeff, a couple of times. They live in Lexington, Kentucky where he teaches and she works. My nephew and his wife came, too, while they visited Chicago with her relatives. It's the first time they saw the snow.  So, it was one happy time together!

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Please visit my web site, or email me if you're interested in purchasing my work via paypal.

"Dorothy"

Oil on gessoed Masonite, 12"x12"  Sold

My Sweet Dorothy

At six in the morn,

Her garage door swung squeakily open.

Out came Dorothy in her pink robe

Dashing, but not hurriedly.

She picked up the newspaper

from the driveway,

Which would later sprawl all over

Her 1960's living room,

Advertisements on top.

The sky was just turning pink. 

She looked up with her graying eyes.

Oh, gee! It's chilly today, 

She said.

*****

I spent too much time painting Dorothy. After extra 5 or six hours of work after she posted for my friends and me, I didn't know if it got any better. But I would say it probably did because I found not much I wanted to do over. But I think I learned a lot about temperature and hope it sticks. 

Dorothy is my 89 year old neighbor. She is kind, wise, healthy and tough. We became good friends over the last dozen years. She is like a mother to me, whom I lost when I was 10. 

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Please email me if you would like, or visit my web site for more paintings.

Thank you!

"Red Rose and Cup"

Oil on Gessoed Board, 6"x6" $125

Recently I got myself a few Silver Brestlon brushes and loved them. Sounds like I'm advertising for them, but they really deserve the praise. They make painting a pleasure as I no longer have to deal with the unruly hair of some of the brushes I use. 

This painting is painted from part of a picture I took. I liked the composition at this corner, its colors and contrast, but especially its romantic mood.

Please email me if you're interested in this painting, or visit my web site to see other paintings.

Thanks for viewing. Happy holiday!

Oak Creek, Sedona

Oil on Canvas, 14x11

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I painted this today from a picture I took at the Red Rock Crossing during a plein air workshop a couple years ago. I've liked this picture but dreaded to paint it because it looked so complicated. So, I summed up my courage. 

Besides using a palette knife, I squinted my eyes a lot to try to ignore too many details. I also used a brush to paint where a knife would have messed it up. Since I don't have a lot of patience and a stead hand, the knife was handy for trees and twigs. The problem was that they tend to look too straight and mechanical. Perhaps I still need to use the brush for trees but only after the under paint dries a bit. Any suggestions? I'll appreciate it!

Please email me if you're interested in purchasing my paintings via Paypal

Or my web site to see other paintings. 

Thank you for viewing!

"Just Passing By"

I just finished this painting. The title I gave inspired me to write a poem. Here it is:

Living

A world of colors, looking in

Wading through. Perhaps

With the first slit of sunlight, or amongst the busy rain

Slumbering still between

Two worlds, a crack

Will appear in the mesh

And you slip and glide through

That heavy story you create

What nonsense and opportunity! Now!

Oh, for heaven's sake

I'm just passing by

       

© Li Mahalik

I hope you like it. I'm sure it can be better and I'll work on it more.

Please visit my website for more art work.
Large commissioned work on abstract oil welcomed. Please email me for quotes.

"Alone in Winter" By Li Mahalik

Oil on Gessoed Masonite, 6"x6"

This painting was  based on a picture I took during a plein air paint-out at the Pebble Beach along the Bush highway. The green tree stood out amongst the grey leafless trees along the creek. I added some horizontal elements to break up the many vertical lines.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions or have something in mind  for a painting. Or visit my website, and my blog. Thank you so much for viewing

"Land of The Mescalero"

Oil on Canvasbord, 16"x16"

For my friend, Fourhawks. The world is kinder and more beautiful because of you.

"From My Heart" By Li Mahalik

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas, 20"x16"

I painted this a week ago and let it sit in my studio while pondering about it. It had a lot more red then and had no dark value, and it seemed too sweet. So, I revised it a bit today. Even though it's an abstract, a focal point or area still helps tying everything up. I would have loved all my abstracts to look good no matter how you placet it. Not this one, though. It wants to look like a bunch of flowers, from my heart.

Please contact me if you have any comments, questions or have something in mind for a painting. Or visit my website, and my other blog. Hope you have a wonderful week!

An update of my 4'x4' commissioned abstract painting: I'm painting it in my mind, no kidding!

"Forget-me-not" by Li Mahalik

"Forget-me-not"
Oil on Gessoed Masonite
6"x6"

A month ago, I did a painting called In the Blue, of some penstemen flowers by the road superimposed on the blue shadow of a tree. Sometimes, when I do the house chores, I would think about the etherial image, about how best to show the feeling. Today, I put it down after a few tries, going a full circle and came back to my original imagination. I think the name "Forget-me-not" is fitting. Don't you think?

"A Promise"

Oil on Gessoed Masonite

6"x6"

Before I posted this, I had to think about how this painting came about, even though I only started it two days ago, changed it, let it sit there and finished it today. Then I remember it was a landscape with a big Agave in front and a graceful Mesquite tree in the back and a strip of light in between the two. I still have the picture in my file, but come to think of it, it's really not bad, but I started over and here it is. 

Please visit my blog and website to see more paintings. If you're interested in purchasing, please email me. The small 6x6's are around $125 including shipping in the US. Thank you so much for looking!

"A Day In November"

Oil on Gessoed Masonite
6"x6"

This piece evolved from a presentational to a non-presentational. I found that it is easier to "switch" from one to the other, rather than to start an abstract from nowhere, which I do sometimes, because quite often I end up losing the freshness and the momentum. The images in the mind are hard to hold, and the paint, once on the canvas, solidifies the image; one has no choice but to keep going, innovate and know how and when to quit.

Please come visit my website,  another blog which I'm a member of,  my store or email me if you would like.

Thank you so much for viewing.

"The Merchant", 6x6

Oil on Gessoed Masonite

The fun thing about painting Abstract is "walking" without knowing where you're going. "Walking in Beauty", as a very dear friend of mine used to say, is the journey we all embark upon. There's no one path that isn't worthy of traveling. At the end, then, like this painting, it is how we make it better by changing, eliminating, and choosing a view.

Warm Regards,

dreamcobbler@cox.net

www.dailypaintersofarizona.blogspot.com

www.limahalikart.com

"Peaches and Cream" by Li Mahalik

Oil on Panel, 8x6

After painted a larger version of this, I went back to paint this smaller one to see how I could do better. The pink and white blossoms were a challenge because it was hard to see where one tree ends and the other begins. I discovered that once we notice the subtle change in shades we can exaggerate the values and colors to make it more painterly. This one is far from perfect, but I've learned an invaluable lessen from doing it.

Please contact me if you have any suggestions or comments, dreamcobbler@cox.net or visit my web site to see more of my paintings: www.limahalikart.com