GRAMP'S CLUBS

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My grandfather died when I was 14 years old. Because I was the only lefty in the immediate family, I was given his golf clubs. Edward H. "Pat" Murphy was an avid if not very good golfer. Gramp was about 5' 5" tall, reddish blond hair with a fair, freckly complexion. I used his clubs into my early 20's then gave up golf but hung onto the golf clubs for sentimental reasons. Forty years later I still have them.

I composed this painting from a series of pictures I took. I kept tightening the composition but I think it could have been even tighter.

I almost tossed this one away halfway through. I managed to mess up the head of the driver (wooden club) and had to scrub it a bit and repaint. I don't care much for the clubto the left of the driver. I didn't quite get it. But I hung in there and finished the painting.

I started the painting my putting in a light yellow background for the grass. I followed that with some light green grass blades then kept adding darker and darker greens until I finally put in some very dark blue-green shadows.

I'm glad I didn't throw this one away, but it won't make the top 10 anywhere.

CRAB APPLE TEA

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This painting had some challenges including making the light reflecting through the glass look realistic. I like how the handle and the bottom of the container turned out. I first thought I would make the background a dark blue-green; but the contrast of the black, especially with the light coming from the far back right, seemed to work better.

I like that the glass and liquid distort the images in the tea container especially magnifying the crab apple. I probably should have made the doily a darker gray; but once I'd put the holes into the pattern, it was difficult to change the background.