Red Apples - Daily Painting A Day by Darren Maurer

8" x 8"

I have been wanting to paint these apples for awhile now. I finally had the chance to do it after the portrait that is posted below was finished. I was most surprised at how "not red" red apples are. They are all different shades of burgandies, blues, violets, and weird colors of pinks. When it all goes together you have a red apple. In this case you have several red apples. This is painting 162 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold (Click Here to View Auction Results)

Double Portrait by Darren Maurer

36" x 40"

Here is the oil portrait I have been working on for roughly the last two months. It is a couple from Omaha, Nebraska that was involved in business for many years there. I was contacted by an employee of the company back in late April to paint a portrait of the gentleman shown. The grandchildren planned on hanging the portrait of their grandfather in the corporate office in Omaha. They thought about the prospect of the portrait further and decided that they should include their grandmother as well since she was very involved and also a large part of her husband's success.

I could not have done this portrait without the help, coaching and encouragement of one of my good friends, Mick McGinty. Mick is one of the very best artists I know and has extensive experience in painting portraits and capturing the likeness of an individual in paint. I learned a lot from him while painting this piece.

My wife is always amazed that after one of my sometimes lengthy phone conversations with Mick. She will ask, "What did Mick know?" and I look at her with a sort of puzzled look and say something like, "I don't know, we just talked about painting."

"You talked about nothing but painting for forty-five minutes???" This is where I respond, "Uhhhh, yeah."

Commission Painting Sold

Neighborhood Fire Hydrant Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

5" x 7"

This is a fire hydrant that stands on the corner near our home. It reminds me of a soldier always there standing at attention and ready but nobody notices. This is painting 161 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Duck Decoy #2 Daily Painting A Day - by Darren Maurer

5" x 7"

Here is another one of my decoys from my collection. The particular decoys is one of my favorites. It was carved by an old time waterfowler from Wisconsin in the early 1900s. He passed away in 1959 while in his late eighties. This is painting 160 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Silver Bowl of Cherries - Daily Painting - by Darren Maurer

8" x 8"

We went over to some of our friends' house for a Fourth of July dinner last week. Hamburgers, hot dogs and brats were on the menu along with all the normal Independence Day food. When we were all finished eating and helping to clear the table and bringing the leftovers back to the kitchen this bowl of cherries caught my eye. I had my camera with me and I took a few shots of the cherries from a few different angles. As an afterthought I went back and looked at them from a low angle and I knew this was the composition for a new painting. I took this with the camera setting on the table. The dark background against the rich deep red of the cherries and the reflective dish makes an interesting painting. The light raking across the counter top and the cherries makes it almost perfect. This is painting 159 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold (Click Here to See the Auction Results)

The Prize Ring - Painting A Day - by Darren Maurer

8"x 8"

My wife and I were eating lunch today at one of our local favorite dive restaurants and I happened to notice one of the gumball type machines that has the clear plastic containers with the ultra cheap prizes inside. I told her that one of those plastic containers along with the prize would make a great subject for a daily painting. So we finished our lunch and I proceeded to stuff quarters into one of the little no armed bandits until I got a prize that I felt was worthy of painting. This ring won my vote for the painting but I also brought the rest of my prizes home too. Maybe I will use one of them some other time. I like how the clear container looks in this painting. It was fun to paint. This is painting 158 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.