A Painting A Day: Miniature Masterpieces - Small original oil paintings by Darren Maurer

Half PB&J by Darren Maurer

2011-10-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

12" x 12"
This is one of my all time favorite subjects to paint. When I'm out and about I am always asked several times a day, "What are you working on?" I love the look on people's faces when I respond, "I'm working on a painting of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." They always ask me again as if they didn't hear me correctly. Painting Available.

Sunflower by Darren Maurer

2011-09-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

36" x 36"

I have been working on this piece for awhile. My oldest daughter repainted her bedroom this past summer and used a family of warm yellows for the color. She asked if I could paint a sunflower for her and hang above the head board of the bed? I told her that I would love to paint something for her and began thinking of ideas almost immediately. She has always been fond of sunflowers anyway so this is the perfect subject. A few years back she grew several sunflowers from seeds and ended up naming them all and giving them different personalities . Most of the names were of people we knew which made it even more fun. This will be one of the final touches on the room remodel. My younger daughter has always noticed sunsets. She was pointing out amazing sunsets almost before she could talk. I am going to paint another 36" x 36" sunset painting for her.

The gallery in Milwaukee has asked me to stay and show work full time. The still life show I participated in during July, August, and September was a success and they sold all of the large paintings which is good news for an artist. We have discussed a few ideas for subject matter and I will start painting on those pieces next.

Sioux City Art Center Exhibit

2011-08-26T21:54:00.001-07:00

I was fortunate to have been asked to show some of my work at the Sioux City Art Center recently. They wanted to present an exhibit of all five of my original Iowa Duck Stamp paintings and the two Artist of the Year paintings completed for Iowa Ducks Unlimited. The paintings will be on display at the Art Center until September 18th. If you are close by I invite you to stop in and see the paintings. This is a rare opportunity to see all five original winners at the same time since all five usually are not together. In addition to the duck stamp pieces there are two other award winning paintings on display. They are larger paintings and helped me to be named the Iowa Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year twice, once in 2007 and again in 2010. There are several other waterfowl paintings included in the show also.

Hooded Merganser - by Darren Maurer

2011-08-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

11"x 14"

Every year our local nature center, the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, has a fund raiser titled "Nature Calls". This year's event will take place on Saturday, September 24th beginning at 6:00pm. Local artists are invited to sell their work during an evening event which consists of light hor d'oeuvres, beer tasting, and a charity auction benefiting the nature center. I am donating this original oil painting for the live charity auction.

Donating original paintings for an auction is something I have rarely done since becoming known for my waterfowl paintings. Although I donate artwork several times a year for charitible causes, I usually limit my donations to one of my duck stamp prints along with a signed mint stamp. This will be only the second time I have donated an "original" piece for an auction. As an artist donating original work for an auction, I have noticed people tend to presume "print reproduction artwork" pricing even on original pieces of work due to the fact that 99.9% of art sold at an auction is in a limited edition print form. For example, I have been to countless Ducks Unlimited auctions where another artist has donated an original piece and I always hear people discussing the work and calling it a print. I have even seen auctioneers calling original work a print. The artist doesn't want to see their hard work sell for so-called limited edition print prices. People need to understand and be educated about the increased value of an original painting over that of a print reproduction. Originals are of course "one of a kind". Limited edition prints are usually so mass produced that the word "limited" is completely meaningless. Generally limited edition prints produced today will rarely if ever go up in value. Original paintings by established artists will do nothing but increase in value year after year. The more known an artist becomes the more the value of the original work increases.

I'm hoping this painting raises a nice amount of money for our nature center and goes to someone that will appreciate my work. I'm going to continue painting and promoting my artwork everyday so I know good things will happen in my art career. Maybe one day someone that hasn't been born yet will have this painting on their wall telling people, "My grandparents bought it at a charity auction in Sioux City, Iowa and I'm so glad they did."

Junior Mints - by Darren Maurer

2011-08-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

5"x 7"

This is the famous Junior Mints candy along with the iconic box. I was hired for a commission job to paint Junior Mints and this is the finished result. I noticed something about Junior Mints that I had not seen before while working on this piece....they are concave on one side and convex on the other. I didn't say it was an interesting observation...just something I had not noticed before. I have another large painting to finish and I have some other miniature paintings planned and in the first stages of progress. I will be posting everything as they are finished. This is a Commission Painting and therefore is Sold.

Gamma Phi Beta Sorority-Iowa State University

2011-08-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

30" x 36"

Last fall our oldest daughter followed in her mother's footsteps and became a member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority at her University. As a special gift to the sorority, we offered to donate an original framed oil painting portrait of the house. Today the painting hangs in the newly redecorated living room and will welcome the women of Gamma Phi Beta back to their Gamma Phi home for years to come.

Gallery Exhibit in Milwaukee!

2011-06-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

I took a group of ten paintings to the Katie Gingrass Gallery in Milwaukee late last week for a still life exhibit titled "Stay Still". The show begins in July and continues through September. The gallery is in a historic area of Milwaukee and has a great feel to it. Hopefully the exhibit is well attended and sales go well.

Lifesavers - by Darren Maurer

2011-05-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

10" x 10"

I have always liked painting shiny reflective surfaces. Painting a roll of Lifesavers candies with the foil wrapper is way fun. This is another painting that will go to the still life show at Katie Gingrass Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin beginning in July. The painting will be for sale through the gallery at the same time.

Grape Jelly - by Darren Maurer

2011-05-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

5" x 5"

I saw this little blob of grape jelly a few mornings ago and noticed how cool it looked. The hot white highlights, the reflected cool blue light on the shadowed side, the deep dark almost black areas within the heart of the blob, the areas where light is captured inside the jelly like the finest gem stone and screams out with the most intense shade of red-violet ever seen. Now that is one cool blob of grape jelly! When I started my blog page over five years ago the one thing I wanted to project to visitors was the process of "seeing.....and not just looking". I call it seeing the "extraordinary within the ordinary". Many people just look and don't really see all the great things around them. All people have their own ideas of what around them is great to see. My family and friends would be the first to attest in my uncanny ability to see the extraordinary within the ordinary.....or at least what is extraordinary to me. As they are all appalled thinking to themselves, "What?" they have witnessed me standing on chairs and table tops in restaurants taking photos of plates of food, silverware, ketchup bottles, salt and pepper shakers, shadows from a window blind raking across a place setting. They have watched me paint items from grocery store shelves, half eaten pieces of watermelon, cereal bowls left behind after breakfast, slobbery lollipops discarded by children, and the foamy rich little brown bubbles on the surface of a freshly poured cup of hot chocolate. They have seen completed commission pieces such as a weed emerging from a crack in a sidewalk, a favorite glass of wine backlit from a nearby window, tricycles, game boards, and slices of pizza. It seems the ideas for painting subjects from "seeing" the coolness in everyday ordinary items around me will never cease. Even a little blob of grape jelly dropped onto a countertop will do. You have to "see" it, or at any rate, I have to see it and then show it to you. I was reminded of all this yesterday when my youngest and now seventeen year old daughter walked into my studio and said, "Tell me you're not painting a little blob of jelly?" I was....and now I'm showing it to all of you. I want to thank the thousands and thousands of people that have followed this blog for the past five plus years. I'll keep painting. This painting will be available later this summer beginning in July.

Plain m&m's - by Darren Maurer

2011-05-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

12" x 12"
I have been invited to show work at a gallery in Milwaukee this summer during July, August, and September. The show will feature still life work from a number of different artists. This painting is obviously m&m's which has been one of my favorite still life subjects since beginning this blog page in the spring of 2006. I can't believe it has been over five years ago that I began posting my work online as I finished each piece. There will be more to come. Lots of work to do!! This painting will be available for purchase beginning in July.

Pepperoni Pizza Slice - by Darren Maurer

2011-05-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

I posted the commission painting of "Cheese Pizza; The Last Slice" about three weeks ago and within 24 hours afterwards I received another commission order for a slice of pepperoni pizza. Here is the second pizza commission all finished. I have found for some strange reason I really enjoy painting pizza. Both slices of pizza used for reference are from a famous Sioux City pizza establishment named El Fredeo's Pizza. The pizza is legendary. I am also working on a group of paintings for an exhibit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this summer. I will start posting them as they are finished. This is a commission painting and therefore SOLD.

Cheese Pizza; The Last Piece - by Darren Maurer

2011-04-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

You never know what the subject matter might be when it comes to commission work. I was recently hired to paint a piece of cheese pizza for a client. I don't usually ask why commission customers pick particular subject matters and that is true in this case as well. What is important is to give the client 110% of your talent on a subject you probably wouldn't ordinarily paint. With that being stated..... every so often on a rare occasion a painting falls together without issues or problems. This piece would fall into that category. I am really happy with the painting and every brush stroke and color note reads as a piece of cheese pizza. This painting is a commission piece and is therefore sold.

Dots Candy - by Darren Maurer

2011-03-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

As a kid growing up in Grand Island, Nebraska during the early 1970s I didn't know too much about the world beyond the edge of our town. Thinking back everything was pretty simple. Each year when school was winding it's way down toward summer vacation a local theatre, "The Grand", would offer a package of tickets to students so they could attend movies through the summer months. We called them "Summer Shows". Our day was every Tuesday and it was always a hot topic of conversation with my friends during the week. We looked forward the movie and cartoon shown beforehand. The Munsters and Three Stooges were always very popular picks for the main attraction. Every Tuesday morning (the movie began at like 9:00am!) someone's mom would drive a small group of us downtown and drop us off. We would meet up with other friends and head inside the theatre. I can remember the inside of "The Grand" and the guy that ran it very clearly.....what he looked like, what he sounded like, the smell of popcorn in the lobby, and the huge curtain that would pull back to reveal the large screen. I didn't know his name at the time but he would welcome everyone as we went inside. I know now that his name was Wally Kemp and he had to be one of the greatest guys in the world. He was full of energy and would give a big welcoming speech from the front of the theatre right before the cartoon started. The speech was always about doing the right thing and would end with him leading and everyone else following along singing "God Bless America" at the top of our lungs. Sometimes I had enough change with me to buy some Dots candy. They were one of my top favorites because there were so many of them in the box and they took a long time to eat because they were so chewy. Other times I had a plastic bag of candy treats from home to smuggle into the theatre, which at the time never seemed like a great idea to me but I did it anyway. (Thats an entirely different story!) The package on these Dots candies still looks the same. Whenever I see them today I think of those "Summer Shows" back in the early 1970s in Grand Island, Nebraska. Click HERE to see a web site about the history of "The Grand". This painting is available. $125 Email for purchase information.

Joe's Shoes - by Darren Maurer

2011-03-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

The form, the light, the shadow, all make painting shoes sort of fun. These particular shoes belong to a friend of my daughter. I spotted them sitting alone one day and instantly saw a painting. The color is vivid and it was a challenge to get them blue enough. You can intensify the color of an object by contrasting the compliment color somewhere in the painting. I added a pale orange background to this piece to make the blue seem more blue. This painting is a commission piece and therefore already sold.

Chocolate Bunny - by Darren Maurer

2011-03-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

This is another subject I visited before. I found this chocolate bunny in an old time candy store located here in Sioux City, Iowa. They have the mould and make them themselves. I like the clear plastic bag and ribbon ties used for the package. This bunny has an old time feel to it. Some of the brand name chocolate bunnies have a very modern design to them and tend to look the same making them boring to me. Painting Sold.

Easter Peeps! by Darren Maurer

2011-03-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

Every year since beginning my painting blog back in 2006 I have painted some of these Peeps candies a few weeks prior to Easter. Here is the 2011 version of my annual painting of the squeezed out marshmallow chick shaped masses covered in yellow sugar. They don't sound as great described like that do they? Regardless of what they actually are millions and millions of them are sold every year around this time. I like painting them and I think this piece could be my favorite one so far. Painting Sold.

Coffee & Donut - by Darren Maurer

2011-03-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

10" x 10"

I could see this image in my mind and I really needed to paint it. I almost named it "Coffee, Donut & Spoon". The painting is on a gallery wrapped canvas which means the buyer wouldn't have to frame it. Painting Available $450.

2012 Iowa Duck Stamp - by Darren Maurer

2011-02-12T21:45:00.001-08:00

I received some great news late yesterday afternoon. My painting of a pair of blue wing teal won first place in the Iowa Duck Stamp competition. The image will be used as the 2012 Iowa Duck Stamp and also for the 2012 Iowa Ducks Unlimited sponsor print. The stamps and prints are used to raise multi-thousands of dollars directed at waterfowl conservation each year. This is my fifth win in designing the state's yearly duck stamp. Five stamp designs make me the all time leader in winning designs in the 40 year history of the competition with three other artists tied with three each. I always feel a great deal of honor being included with all the great artists on the list. Stamps and prints will be available in January of 2012.

Painting Demonstration - by Darren Maurer

2011-01-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

I was invited to speak at a local artist's group here in Sioux City on Tuesday night. I have been invited to speak for them before and would normally blab on and on about painting. I still blabbed on and on about painting but decided to complete a demo while I blabbed. I needed a simple subject matter since I had only an hour-and-a-half to complete the painting from start to finish. It doesn't get much simpler than an apple. I painted from a photograph shot earlier in the day since I wasn't sure of the lighting conditions where I was going to painting. It turned out painting from the photo worked much better than painting from life would have in the space where the meeting is held. The hour-and-a-half flew by and before I knew it the painting was finished. I put the last stroke on the canvas right at 7:30 pm. (Pure Luck!) Everyone seemed to enjoy watching me paint as I thought out loud going through all my painting decisions. There were lots of great questions. I was extremely happy with the finished painting and I surprised the group by giving the painting away to one of them in a raffle like drawing at the end of the session. I think I could really get into teaching painting.

Valentine's Day Kiss - by Darren Maurer

2011-01-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

5" x 5"

I have always liked painting candy. The Hershey's Kiss would be one of my favorites due to the silver reflective foil wrapper. I like how it reflects all the colors surrounding it within the little folds and crinkles of the foil. I wanted to create a composition for this painting that is different from the other Kisses paintings I have done. I decided to crop off the bottom portion of the candy but yet making sure to leave enough of the instantly identifiable shape visible focusing on the paper stem. The unmistakable paper stem that has the word "KISSES" printed on it makes this candy perfect for Valentine's Day. Painting Sold.

Small Town Cafe - by Darren Maurer

2011-01-15T10:39:00.000-08:00

8" x 10"

I love painting these cafe table scenes. There is something really cool about them to me. This particular cafe is located in Stillwater, Minnesota. We stopped there last summer and had some great hamburgers and fries. On my way out the door I saw this empty table in the corner with the usual small town cafe condiments sitting by the table edge. I knew right then that I wanted to paint it. I had two different light sources to consider on this painting. I had windows on both sides of the objects and yet they were mostly backlit. You can see a historic building out the window and there is another building reflected in the side of the napkin holder. I am particulary fond of the salt shaker. This painting available through Bethal Street Gallery. Contact gallery for purchase information. UPDATE: Painting Sold

PB&J Sandwich by Darren Maurer

2010-11-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

6" x 6" on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

In keeping with the jelly theme.....I really love painting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I always insist on grape jelly, preferbably Welch's brand. The chunky jelly reflects the light but is also translucent enough that where it is spread thin the bread is illuminated in that cool grape rosey purple color. Painting Sold.

Jelly Knife - by Darren Maurer

2010-11-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

6" x 6" Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I have been working on some larger commission paintings this summer and fall and haven't had much time to finish any miniature pieces. Things are letting up now and I plan on completing several subject ideas for my miniature paintings before the end of the year.

This painting shows an antique piece of silverware with a scoop of grape jelly which is my favorite. Painting Sold.

Finished!!!!!!!!!!!!! Large Landscape Commission

2010-06-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

"Grazing American Bison" Here is the finished painting! My wife, ShLoe, and my good friends Mike, Kevin, and Chris McCormick helped install the piece on a wall. The painting will be the background for a museum display. The McCormick's are a creative multitalented family and I am proud to know them.

A close up of the closest bison.

The wall where the painting will be applied.

The painting cut from it's frame and laying on the floor.

Mike mixing wall paper paste. Kevin and Chris watch. We covered the wall and the back of the painting.

Myself, Kevin and Mike moving the canvas.

Kevin and I on the top corners. Mike and Chris on the bottom corners with ShLoe eyeballing the position of the canvas.

Kevin, myself and ShLoe positioning the painting.

Mike working the wrinkles out.

Here is the finished painting installed on the wall. With the brooding artist standing in front of it. (Note: Most people don't realize this entire piece was completed using nothing more than a 9 inch paint roller. wink, wink)

Large Landscape

2010-06-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

102" x 156"

I haven't posted in awhile. My workload has been heavy but shows signs of weakening soon. I am looking forward to finishing some miniature paintings again in the near future. The large painting is almost finished and is scheduled to be installed in the museum next Monday. I hope it is dry by then! I'll post some photos of the finished painting and then again later of the finished project.

2010-05-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

102"X 156"

I'm posting two new photos of the buffalo painting. The prairie grass is progressing nicely. I've included a close up of the grass which is a very abstract pattern of brush strokes. The sense of depth is achieved by keeping track of where I'm painting on the canvas and warming or cooling the paint. (Note: I'm not microwaving or refrigerating the paint. I'm talking about color warmth or coolness.) I have used this technique before on smaller paintings and it will eventually include a vast array of colors. Adding color to landscapes that some people wouldn't normally see makes it more interesting. If you really look at the green prairie there are purples, blues, oranges, reds, and countless other shades and tones. I like adding those colors at the end of the painting. I have to be careful at that point because there is a fine line between perfect and over done.

Large Landscape by Darren Maurer

2010-05-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

102"x 156"

The painting is still going well. My deadline is June 1. I work on it in every free moment available. (Once again I remind everyone that the photos on this post were taken earlier in the process and the painting is much further along at this point in time.)

You can see in the first photo where another plane of middle ground has been added to the landscape. I decided it needed another plane to help add the immense sense of distance I am trying to achieve. The bison were painted in with a dark thin wash of paint to help me keep them located when roughing in the grasses in the foreground. (As mentioned earlier, having the smaller bison in the composition at this point was a mistake.) I started roughing in the abstract shapes that will become prairie grasses around the bison. Painting around the bison was tedious and took away from the loose painterly style. I decided to paint out the smaller bison and then paint them back at a later time when the foreground was more finished. I will post more early this week.

Large Landscape Painting - by Darren Maurer

2010-05-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

102"x 156"

You can see the the middle ground in this photo. It is slightly darker than the the horizon line and will end up with a small amount of subtle detail painted into it. I'll post photos of the beginning of the foreground very soon.

Horizon Line

2010-05-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

102"x 156"

I was out in western South Dakota about four weeks ago digging dinosaurs on one of my paleontology dig trips. In addition to digging fossils I was also observing how the South Dakota horizon line appeared on a clear spring day. I made mental notes of the colors and intensity of the colors. The land masses faded to light blue just before I couldn't see any further. When teaching painting I always have the students imagine layers of very thin veiled light fabric hanging between them and the colors. The further away the land is to appear on the horizon the more layers of fabric they are looking through the achieve the proper color. Blah, blah, blah.......... Anyway, here are the intial steps I have taken to attain the illusion of distance on a flat piece on canvas inside my garage. There are three different planes of distance shown. The furthest two are very subtle in the differences in the color. It really feels like what I saw on my trip. (I have been working away on this thing. To be continued....next starting the mid distance land masses!)

Big Painting II

2010-05-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

102" x 156"

I'm still working on this painting. Once again I will remind everyone that the painting is much further at this time along than these photos show. I have been documenting the entire process of this piece and will continue to add new photos every few days to show the progress.

I started by roughly sketching in some of the bison onto the canvas. (Note: This will later prove to be a mistake) I then sprayed the rough pencil line bison with fixative so I didn't erase them when I toned my canvas. I like to tone my canvas for landscapes with a russet orange color and then let some of the orange tone show through in areas when the painting is finished. (Note: I think it just looks cool) I let the orange tone dry fully for about one day and then begin painting. Here I am starting the sky. Notice I can talk on the phone with friends while painting! (Note: When I'm on the phone I am almost always talking about painting, dinosaurs, or fishing.) The last photo shows paint laid in for the sky. I will later add some clouds to make it more interesting. The next post will show the far distant horizon of the open prairie. (To be continued.....)

Big Painting!

2010-05-08T09:31:00.001-07:00

102"x 156"

Is it my imagination or is that a really big painting? I didn't really get the size of this thing until I saw the stretched canvas in my garage.

I'm still around and working even though I haven't posted anything for awhile. I'm working on a huge commission piece that is due at the end of the month. These photos were taken a few weeks ago and the actual painting is much further along than these photos show. I have been taking photos all along and will start to post them every few days to show the progress of the painting.

The subject is an early summer prairie scene with a herd of grazing bison (American Buffalo). My first challege will be to show the never ending distance of the horizon line out on the prairie. One of my inspirations for this painting is the work of western artist Howard Terpning.

Stay tuned for the progress!

Blue Shoe - by Darren Maurer

2010-03-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

10" x 10"

I finished another painting for the Hawaii gallery. Click here to get to the gallery website. I'm going to call this piece "Blue Shoe". It just sounds like the title of a painting with some deep dark obscure cryptic meaning behind it. It's a cool title. Well.... I've got news for everyone......it's a blue shoe and nothing more than that. I liked the way it looked, which is how I decide on every subject that I paint. I think I will ship these five pieces halfway across the Pacific Ocean now and hope they like them. I actually did a little experiment while working on this painting. I underpainted everything first which is something I rarely do. I really like how it worked out. I will continue to use the new technique for certain subjects.

Peanut & Chocolate m&m's - by Darren Maurer

2010-03-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

I finished two more pieces for the Bethel Street Gallery in Hawaii. My m&m's paintings have proved to be popular subjects in the past. I have painted them several times before and have even completed some commissions of this classic candy.

Plain m&m's - Available

Peanut m&m's - Sold

Dracorex Hogwartsia - by Darren Maurer

2010-03-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

Paper size 11" x 17"

I paint, draw, and design for a living. My hobbies for fun are fishing and hunting dinosaurs. Hunting dinosaurs???? Yes, that is correct. Some friends of mine started hunting dinosaur fossils back in 2000. I joined the group in 2002 and haven't looked back since. In 2003 some members of our group found something really special. It was a previously unknown species of dinosaur. A complete upper skull was uncovered and it is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Looking at this fossil for the first time was an unbelievable experience. Prepping the fossil took a painstaking 5000 hours of tedious labor. Our group got to help name the new dinosaur which was eventually called "Dracorex Hogwartsia". We donated the skull to the Indianapolis Children's Museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Collecting fossils and continuously learning and studying about dinosaurs is one of the most rewarding aspects of my life next to my family. The next best thing to hunting fossils for me is talking about them to others. I have lectured countless times at grade schools, colleges, universities, museums, and anyone else that is interested and has invited us to speak. I completed this pencil sketch of the skull very shortly after the fossil was finished being prepped.

We wanted to announce a new website dedicated to our dinosaur containing lots of information and background on the discovery. Check out the website at http://www.thedracorex.com/ Email me and let me know what you think. The pencil drawing is available for purchase as a lithograph fine art print hand signed by yours truly. They are available through the store section at the website or emailing me directly.

I am close to finishing two more paintings I'm doing for the gallery in Hawaii. I will finish one or two more for the gallery and get back into a somewwhat normal routine. I did get a commission job last week to paint an 8'---0" x 12'---6" original oil on canvas. Is it my imagination or is that a really big painting?? I'll keep everyone updated.

Fruit Loops - by Darren Maurer

2010-03-10T19:37:00.000-08:00

12" x 12"

This is the second painting I've completed for the gallery in Hawaii. Click Bethel Street Gallery to check it out. I love the look of soggy fruit loops floating in the last bit of milk in the cereal bowl. The milk is a nice creamy tawny color when you get to this point of eating cereal. I am going to complete three or four more smaller paintings for the gallery and ship them to Hawaii. The others will be 6x6 and 5x5 canvases. Contact Bethel Street Gallery for purchase information.

Ice Water with Lemon by Darren Maurer

2010-03-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

6" x 6"

My family almost always orders ice water with lemon when we are out at a restaurant. A few weeks ago we were at one of local favorites and when the ice water came I noticed how cool they looked from directly above the glass. I wanted to try a painting of an ice water from that vantage point. I love how the glass seems to rise out of the canvas toward you when viewing this painting. Something interesting to me while working this piece was how dirty, drab, and dull the color for the center of the lemon had to be before it was right. In fact, to use the term color is stretching it because the paint was a very neutral tone while on my palette. When I applied the paint to the canvas in the center of the lemon it was perfect and made the lemon look so real. I have discussed this perceived factor of color in realism painting before and I continue to be reminded of it. Lemons are yellow. I'm wrong again. Painting Available $100. (Email me for purchase Details)

PB & J Sandwich - by Darren Maurer

2010-02-28T15:44:00.000-08:00

10" x 10"

This is the first painting for my new gallery, Bethel Street Gallery, located in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am going to complete five to six pieces of various sizes. The owner let me know he was a fan of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich paintings so I decided to make it my first subject. For those of you that also follow my friend, Neil Hollingsworth's painting blog, he has been discussing his use of painting small study paintings of partial subjects before tackling the entire subject in a single composition. For instance, he recently completed a close up painting of some glass coca-cola bottles inside the red cardboard carrier before finishing the larger painting showing the top portion of the entire eight-pack on a 16x20 canvas. This is a good way for artists to see how a particular subject matter might work before committing lots of time on a big painting. In a sense, it is practice. I don't paint a great deal of study paintings, but usually just dive in headfirst and find all the hidden potential problems as I am painting. This painting was completed in a sort of an opposite fashion from Neil's method. A few weeks ago I painted both halves of this PB & J on a 6x6 panel and now finished the same sandwich with a very cropped composition on a 10x10 panel. I should consider painting studies more often because this painting really went well and I was able to get in the "zone" and the painting came easy. Painting Sold.

Clown Sundae by Darren Maurer

2010-02-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

16" x 20"

There is a restaurant here in Sioux City, Iowa that has been in business for 80 years now. The Green Gables restaurant opened in 1929 and is quite famous near and far for the excellent home cooked meals and ice cream dishes they serve up. When my daughters were little the Gables, which is how we refer to the restaurant in our home, was always a very popular choice for going out to eat. The main attraction for my girls is what came after the meal. The famous Green Gables Clown Sundae. A single scoop of vanilla ice cream piled into a glass ice cream dish, topped with an ice cream cone for a hat, whipped cream sprayed along the length of the hat and m&m's candies dotting the nose, eyes, and decorations on the hat. I would not want to calculate the number of these sundaes that have been built in last 80 years. It would easily reach into the hundreds of thousands. I wanted to paint a clown sundae and really like how this painting shows the simple design and yet has a dramatic feel to it. The glass ice cream bowl was extremely fun to paint also. This painting will be made into an edition of fine canvas giclee prints and will be available through the Green Gables gift shop. I'm not sure what I will do with the original painting yet.

Good News!!!!! 2011 Iowa Duck Stamp

2010-02-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

Here is the news release for my fourth win in the Iowa Duck Stamp Contest. The merganser did it!!!!

Historic Win in Iowa Duck Stamp Competition

Sioux City resident and nationally recognized artist, Darren Maurer, made history by taking top honors in the Iowa Duck Stamp Contest held Friday, February 12 in Des Moines, Iowa. Maurer’s rendition of a single Hooded Merganser drake was chosen from entries sent in from across the country. The winning image will be used on Iowa’s duck stamp for the year 2011 and will also be used as the Iowa Ducks Unlimited sponsor print for the same year.
This unprecedented win earns Maurer the honor of becoming the only artist in the thirty-eight year history of the Iowa art contest to win the Iowa Duck Stamp four different times. Maurer was previously tied with artists Paul Bridgeford, Dietmar Krumrey, and the legendary Maynard Reece with three Iowa stamps each to their name. “Winning number four is definitely something I will remember for a long time. Having four duck stamps and two Artist of the Year titles goes way beyond what I ever thought possible since sending that first painting off in the mail ten years ago.” Maurer says.
Although impressive, this accomplishment is not Maurer’s first time to earn prestigious honors in the Ducks Unlimited art competition. Maurer’s first unmatched achievement occurred after winning both the 2001 and 2002 Duck Stamp contests. No other artist had won in back to back years before or since then. He set the bar high again by taking top honors in both the Duck Stamp competition and was named the Iowa Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year in 2007. Maurer is the only artist to win both of those honors in the same year. He was also named Iowa Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year for a second time in 2010.

Ruddy Ducks - by Darren Maurer

2010-02-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

24" x 30"

Another duck painting. My subscribers and followers of my blog might remember last year when I painted seven common goldeneyes drakes, entitled "The Magnificent Seven" for the Iowa Ducks Unlimited Print of the Year. That painting placed first in the contest and gave me my second Iowa DU Artist of the Year title. This painting of a pair of ruddy ducks is for the same competition this year. I went through several up and down periods while painting this piece. I would like it one day and hate it the next. I do like how the painting ended and I had to end it because it has to be in Des Moines, Iowa by 11am Saturday. I thought the judges would appreciate dry paint. Painting Available $950. (Email me for Purchase Details)

Red & Silver Hershey's Kisses - by Darren Maurer

2010-02-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

6" x 6"

I like the negative space around the subjects in this piece. Less is more sometimes. I also like the more lit area of the background to the upper right of the silver kiss. This is painting 318 in my miniature painting series. It is also a commission painting and therefore it is sold.

Valentine Chocolates - by Darren Maurer

2010-01-31T18:58:00.000-08:00

8" x 8"

I have been wanting to finish this painting and get it posted with enough time before Valentine's Day to still get it shipped to a collector. I like the cropped in composition with the chocolates in the shadow. This is painting 317 in my miniature painting series. Painting Available $100. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Hooded Merganser by Darren Maurer

2010-01-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

6-1/2" x 11"

I have been working on several commission paintings since my last blog post. I have my commission orders almost caught up and finished.

It is also the time of year when I finish a painting for Iowa's annual duck stamp competition. I decided to paint a hooded merganser this year. The hooded merganser is the smallest of the three merganser species found in North America. Males have a large white crest surrounded by black. They can expand or retract the crest. My painting shows this bird with the crest expanded. The top of the head, neck and back are all black, and the chest, breast and belly are white. Wavy black lines can be seen on the tawny sides and flanks. The hindback, rump and tail are dark brown. The long, narrow, serrated bill is black. The iris is bright yellow and the legs and feet are dull yellow. It is important to design and paint duck stamps as accurately as possible. I have closely studied most species of waterfowl found in North America which helps me a great deal in designing duck stamps. I will ship this painting off to the contest next week and may also include my entry from last year which placed second and then wait and see what happens.

I also had some good news this week! I was approached by an established art gallery in Hawaii to represent me and showcase my work. I have accepted and will begin working on some pieces for them very soon. They would like to start with some of my oil paintings of food items.

Candy Valentine Heart - by Darren Maurer

2010-01-12T21:48:00.001-08:00

4" x 4"

Keeping with the Valentine theme I decided to paint a candy heart. The "LOVE YOU" heart seemed like the logical choice. This is painting 316 in my miniature painting series. I have offered the last several paintings to my subscribers and blog visitors first before listing the work on eBay. I will do the same with this piece. The fairest way I have found is the first email gets the painting. $100. UPDATE: I posted this at 11:58pm and received an email for purchase at 12:08am. The night owls win this round! Painting Sold.

Red & Silver Hershey's Kisses - by Darren Maurer

2010-01-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

6" x 6"

I posted the silver foil Hershey's Kiss yesterday and it sold within minutes. Since then I have received several emails requesting commission paintings of Hershey's Kisses. I have a few more paintings of this subject to finish now before Valentine's Day.

This painting of a pair of red and silver Kisses was already in the works yesterday when I made my blog entry but was quickly spoken for by one of my subscribers when they found out I was working it. Painting red foil is no different than painting silver foil except I'm using different colors. This is painting 315 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Valentine's Day Kiss - by Darren Maurer

2010-01-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

6" x 6"

Painting silver foil is fun. Its shiny, its dark, its shiny, its dark.....well you get the idea. Reflective things aren't really a color at all but rather take on the colors of everything around them. A fun subject to paint and very satisfying when it looks reflective when you finish. I always like to paint a few Valentine's Day subjects every year and the Hershy's Kiss is probably one of the all time favorites with my blog subscribers and art collectors. This is painting 314 in my miniature painting series. I will offer this painting to my subscriber's first. If it remains un-purchased, I will list it on an eBay auction Monday evening around 7:00pm. The pre-auction price is $100 and the first person to email me will get the painting. UPDATE: PAINTING SOLD

PB&J #4 - by Darren Maurer

2010-01-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

6" x 6"

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are one of my favorite subjects to paint although I can't think of any interesting commentary about them right now. This painting does happen to be the first one finished in the new year for me. I will offer this painting on eBay starting Thursday evening around 7pm unless one of my subscribers would like to purchase it before then. The first one to send me an email will have first rights to the painting. This is painting 313 in my miniature painting series. (Painting Sold at 10:14 am)

Peppermint Candy - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-17T20:41:00.001-08:00

4" x 6"

I like painting clear plastic wrappers. Peppermint candies are also one of my favorite subjects for my miniature paintings. I think this is the fourth painting of them since I started my painting blog. What even makes them better is they come wrapped in clear plastic wrappers. This is painting 312 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Green Olives Red Pimentos - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

4" x 6"

Contrast between the green olive and a red pimento is very nice. The view here shows two olives with the light source from the back side. This is painting 311 in my miniature painting series. Painting Available $100 (Click Here for Purchase Information)

Tootsie Pop - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

4" x 4"

I like the close view of this cherry tootsie pop with the stick going off the top of the painting. If you really look at a tootsie pop closely you can see swirls of different tones with in the candy. My favorite area is where the stick enters the tootsie pop and you can see the white stick through the translucent candy. This is painting 310 in my miniature painting series. Painting Available $100 (Click Here for Purchase Information)

Peanut m&m's - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-11T21:59:00.001-08:00

4" x 6"

I recently had an email request from an art collector for more candy paintings. I have painted several brands of candy in the past. People have mailed candy to me so I could use it as a subject in a painting for them. I have searched eBay for old candy packages so I could try and match the package design from a certain era. I went to the grocery store today and spotted these peanut m&m's at the check out counter and the collector's request popped back into my head. I bought them, took them home, set them up in my studio, got the lights just right, painted them, and then ate them all. This is painting 309 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Egg & Wooden Spoon - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

6' x 6"

Painting the glass bowl and translucent egg white proved to be a challenge. Although egg whites don't have much color to them it was picking up some reflected color from the bright golden yellow yolk. Because everything was sitting on a black table cloth it made the egg white look like a translucent muted golden yellow color. Adding the spoon makes me wonder what the next ingredient will be? This is painting 308 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Red Volkswagon - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-09T19:17:00.001-08:00

8" x 8"

I saw this red Volkswagon downtown last week. It was a bright day with lots of sunshine and the chrome headlight rings were gleaming. Just showing the front end is much more interesting to me rather than showing the entire car. I have painted commission pieces of classic cars in the past and have always liked the challenge of getting it right. If a landscape isn't quite like the artist actually saw it nobody notices. If a car isn't painted exactly true to the shape everyone can see it immediately. This is painting 307 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Race Car Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

3" x 3"

Here is the tenth and final Monopoly game piece painting. It also happens to my personal favorite of all ten paintings. I don't really know why it is my favorite. It just had something about it I liked. I am particularly fond of the Free Parking space in the background. I would like to thank everyone for all the emails about this Monopoly painting series. I had emails from people all over the world telling me how great they thought the paintings were. Some offered advice, new ideas, questions about the game, and suggestions for more paintings. One fantastic side effect from starting a blog page is all the people I have met and became friends with even though we have never met face to face. It has been great. This is painting 306 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Iron Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

3" x 3"

The iron game piece. I asked myself the question recently. Which game piece always insures victory on the Monopoly board? While researching my question, I found an interesting commentary that I will share with you.

Firstly, the dog zones in on the hat and just tears it apart. While that's going on, the shoe is kicking the dog in the butt long enough to distract the dog which allows the cannon to take the dog down Michael Vick style. I love rooting for the dog, but that cannon saw an easy target. With the shoe's efforts directed at the dog, the battleship shoots enough ammo into the shoe to make the shoe into swiss cheese. Shoe down. Just as the battleship rips apart the shoe, the thimble comes in and pounds the battleship into the ground. Look at how sturdy that thimble is! The battleship ship had no chance of piercing the thimble's armor with their tiny little guns.That leaves iron, wheelbarrow, cannon, race car, and thimble. This whole time the wheelbarrow is off working on its secret attack. The canon figures the car is its next target. The thimble is too tough and the iron just doesn't have any meat on it to aim at. The car is a big target and doesn't have much armor. It can be shifty and move around but what else can it do? It can't ram into anything. It will just get stalled. The thimble and cannon team up and the thimble manages to slow down the car a bit by getting the car to partially crash into the thimble. This allows the cannon to blast the car away. Just as the cannon finishes off the car, the wheelbarrow arrives and dumps a big payload of dirt into the cannon. The cannon reacts and attempts to fire back at the wheelbarrow only to self-implode. Cannon down.Now it's down to the iron, wheelbarrow and thimble. The iron melts down the wheelbarrow. Easy as that. It's a long, drawn-out battle, but the iron eventually melts down the thimble. The thimble managed to pound off the iron's handle, but the iron remains hot and victorious.

So there you have it. This is painting 305 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

New York Yankees Game Ball - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

6" x 6"

I stayed up late to watch game six in the World Series and I had this painting partially finished. The only thing I didn't know for sure is which team's logo I was going to paint on the ball. The Yankees won game six and won the series four games to the Phillies two so the Yankees logo is painted on the ball. I really like how the baseball is lit and the viewer is looking down on the baseball. I did list the painting on eBay tonight right after I finished it. I would be interested in any game ball commission work of your favorite team if anyone would like a painting of their favorite team's logo on a game ball. This is painting 304 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Ship Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

3" x 3"

The battleship game piece is one of the more detailed of all the game pieces. The port holes and cannons front and rear all add to the detail. This painting makes the eighth Monopoly game piece painting I have posted over the last two weeks. I have only two more game piece paintings left. This painting is number 303 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Dog Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-11-01T21:37:00.000-08:00

3" x 3"

Here is number seven in the series of Monopoly game piece paintings. The dog game piece looks like a schnauzer to me. Our family dog is a black and white schnauzer named "Oreo". She will bark and bother anyone that enters our home until they pay some attention to her. Then, and only then, she will leave you alone. I like the loose style of painting these game pieces. They still have the feel of chrome metallic object even though the paint is just a series of a few brush strokes. I got the idea to use the same style on the previous painting, "Bedtime Story" by finishing these Monopoly pieces. It is so cool to see the image appear by just applying a few brush strokes of the correct colors to your canvas to make the illusion real. This is painting 302 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

The Bedtime Story - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

I'm skipping the Monopoly painting I was going to post today until tomorrow. I have been thinking about the 300 paintings on my blog page and have decided to start including paintings of people doing normal everyday tasks. I have some ideas in mind but plan on just letting the concepts come to me as I see them. This painting is something I have wanted to paint for sometime now. The father reading a book to his two children just before bedtime. I didn't try to capture every little detail in the scene but rather to capture the essense of the moment. The people are some friends that I made through our blog pages and I want them to have the painting so it won't be available. If you would like to check in on their family blog page you can click HERE. They always have something fun going on. This is painting 301 in my miniature painting series.

Monopoly Cannon Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

The cannon will be the sixth Monopoly game piece released in the series. This painting also happens to be the 300th miniature painting I have done since starting this blog page in March of 2006. I was one of the very early painters to begin doing this. I would give much thanks to fellow painters and bloggers David Darrow, Mick McGinty, and Justin Clayton for helping me get started and answering lots of dumb questions. Blogging the paintings has made me a better painter and taught me to continually look for subject matter throughout the day. Sometimes I will see the idea and the composition jumps instantly into my head. Other times I see the idea in my head later in the day and I will go back and revisit the subject again the next day. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Wheelbarrow Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

Here is the fifth painting released in the Monopoly game piece series. The wheelbarrow sitting on the Income Tax space??????? Hmmmmmmmm?????? I wonder what I mean by that? This is painting 299 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Red Apples - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"
I tried something different for mixing paint for this painting. I pre-mixed all the colors that I saw within my apple subjects. I have also shown my palette with the eleven different tones I could see in the apples. I usually just mix color as I go and continually keep mixing paint throughout the entire process of creating a painting. I like how this worked and although it takes more time at the beginning I think it saved time over the long run. I don't know that this would work for me on every painting but it will work on smaller pieces that have an overall tone of similar color. I could also see doing this for portraits as well. I was going to post the next Monopoly game piece painting tonight but I wanted to show everyone these apples. It is also painted in a loose style and is very painterly. This is painting 298 in my miniature painting series. Painting Available $100. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Monopoly Horse & Rider Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

The horse and rider is one of my favorite Monopoly game pieces. It has some fine detail that I have never really noticed until I decided to use it as a painting subject. The polished chrome pieces are challenging and fun to capture in paint. This is painting 297 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Thimble Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

The third original oil painting released of a Monopoly game piece. The thimble is a classic. This is painting 296 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Top Hat Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

The second painting released in the Monopoly game piece series is the top hat. It only seems reasonable that the top hat is sitting on the most expensive property on the Monopoly board. I did pick all the properties at random and only after the fact did I consider the relationship between the top hat and the richest of the rich Boardwalk property. This is painting 295 in my miniature paintings series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Shoe Game Piece - by Darren Maurer

2009-10-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

I have finished ten miniature paintings that all show a different game piece from the Parker Brother's game, Monopoly. The art will be posted one at a time over a three week period. A painting will be posted on my blog page the evening before it is posted for sale on an eBay auction. Auctions will begin at $49. Subscribers to my blog page will receive an email announcing the latest painting the evening before it is listed on eBay. Paintings will not be listed on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evenings.

This idea appealed to me initially from the connection between players and the game pieces they had to use. For instance, I always prefer to use the wheelbarrow. My daughter Emily always likes to be the thimble. I'm sure someone out there must always use the shoe. All of the game pieces are shown on a random piece of Monopoly property. This is painting 294 in my miniature painting series. Painting Sold.

Red Pump - by Darren Maurer

2009-09-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

12" x 12"

During a recent trip to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota) my daughters were looking around inside a shoe store. I was reluctantly looking with them because shoe shopping is not my thing. A word of advice to anyone shoe shopping with me would be, don't ask me what do I think of your shoes. I don't know, I don't care, I'm not interested, and never have been. Although, I did spot these high heel red pumps from a long distance away and knew they had the potential to be a great painting subject. With my interest now peaked I had my youngest daughter, Emily, go over to the shoes with me so nobody would get the wrong idea about an old ranch hand from Nebraska looking at high heel red pumps all by himself. I photographed one of the shoes and got the heck out of there. I completed the painting tonight and really like how it looks all finished. While I worked on this painting I kept asking the girls and my wife, "What do you think of my shoe?" They weren't interested. This is painting 293 in my Miniature Painting Series. Painting Sold.

Salt & Pepper Chrome Tops - by Darren Maurer

2009-09-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

6' x 9"

I like painting chrome objects. Getting the feel and look of something reflective is somewhat challenging and rewarding when finished. These tops on the salt and pepper shakers were extremely polished and reflective. The dark background makes them stronger. This is painting 292 in my Miniature Painting Series. Painting Sold.

Blue Wing Teal - by Darren Maurer

2009-08-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

7" x 10"

I finished this year's Federal Duck Stamp painting at 12:15am Tuesday morning. I'm happy with everything so I guess I'll send it off to Washington DC this week. I think this is number twelve for my Federal entries. I have placed in the top ten a few times and it is always fun to see what happens. I can get back to painting a few miniatures now that this is finished. We were in Minneapolis, Minnesota a couple of weeks ago and I did find some great painting subjects while we roamed around downtown. We even caught a Twins game while we were there. Time to get back to work now.

Plain m&m's - by Darren Maurer

2009-07-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

I always like using m&m's as a painting subject. They are so universal and easily recognizable to everyone. I may not post new work as regular over the next couple of weeks because I will be working on my Federal Duck Stamp entry that is due by August 15. Once again this year I followed my usual very strict disciplined procedure of finishing the painting that cannot be deviated from. To the non artist subscribers it goes like this.....wait, wait, wait, wait.....and then PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The m&m's are painting 291 in my Painting A Day Series. Commission Painting - Sold.

Candy Cane - by Darren Maurer

2009-07-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

3" x 3"

Have you ever tried to find a candy cane in July?????????????? It wasn't easy. Lucky for me my wife is a first grade teacher and she was able to find one left over from Christmas time. This is a commission painting for a client that had a specific request for a candy cane painting and deliver it by the first week of August. I agreed that I could get it finished by then but I had never thought about the rarity of little peppermint canes during the summer. I tossed around a few different compositions before settling on this one. I like how the viewer knows it is no doubt a candy cane without seeing the entire piece of candy. This is painting 290 in my Painting A Day Series. Commission Painting - Sold.

Peanut Butter & Jelly - by Darren Maurer

2009-07-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

What more can be said about the PB&J sandwich? Not much. I like how the color of the grape jelly jumps from the painting and becomes the star of the show. This is painting 289 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Tricycle - by Darren Maurer

2009-07-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

I always enjoy painting an old tricycle. It seems like almost everyone can relate to racing one of these up down a sidewalk when they were young. This is painting 288 in my Painting A Day Series. Commission Painting - Sold

Monopoly Go To Jail - Daily Painting - by Darren Maurer

2009-07-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

I have visited this theme before but the race car game piece and the go to jail square just go together. I can't resist painting the two together when I think of my Monopoly painting possibilities. I completed a commission similar to this idea a couple of years ago for a client that wanted to give it to a friend that had several speeding tickets. This is painting 287 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Four Cantaloupe Wedges by Darren Maurer

2009-06-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

Did you know that cantaloupes and melons are in the same gourd family as squashes and cucumbers? Another interesting piece of trivia is while squashes are considered vegetables, cantaloupes are considered fruit. The difference in categorizing them is in the way they are used. It doesn't make sense to me. I do know my wife was cutting up this melon and I stopped her when I saw these four pieces in our kitchen being backlit from a nearby window. I loved the way the wedges were lined up with the light hitting them from the back. This is painting 286 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Monopoly Passing Go - Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-06-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

I finished a set of Monopoly themed paintings a couple of years ago. They are fun to paint and bring back several memories of playing the game when I was kid and even as an adult. I always liked passing GO and collecting my $200. When my younger sister would pass GO she would also collect her $200 and then stash it somewhere out of sight from the other players in the game. We would be watching her cash pile getting smaller and smaller. Just as I would be planning her demise in the game she would pull out a huge wad of play money and buy houses and hotels everywhere on the board putting the rest of us in severe financial danger. It was always interesting. Painting Sold.

Lake Okoboji, Iowa - Commission Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-06-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

14" x 18"

I have been working on several jobs the last few weeks and this commission painting was one of the projects that was finished last night. Working from a great photo supplied by my client was a real treat. A nice series of cloud formations in the sky to go along with the sunset made the painting more interesting. Although my client lives in New York City their family is from this area of Iowa and they own some property on the lake. This is a view of the lake from the cabin. Commission Painting - Sold.

Little Debbie Snack Cake - by Darren Maurer

2009-05-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

How can someone not love these? Frosting and cake all rolled up and covered with chocolate. "Absolute genius." I say. This painting 284 in my Painting A Day Series. This is also a commission painting and is sold.

Watermelon Wedge with Bites - by Darren Maurer

2009-05-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

Here is the same piece of watermelon with a few juicey bites out of it. I'm wondering now if listing the painting on eBay yesterday was a mistake or not. Maybe I should have offered this two painting as a set. This is painting 283 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting at Auction - Painting Sold.

Watermelon Wedge - by Darren Maurer

2009-05-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

5" x 7"

I will be back to posting some new paintings more often now. I have been busy painting but not the fun kind of painting......we have been working hard repainting our entire home. The job isn't quite finished yet but it is far enough along that I can spend some of my time painting again.

Watermelon wedges should be the official symbol of summer. I proclaim as of today from here forward the watermelon wedge is the official symbol of summer. The next miniature painting I post will be related to this painting. It is sort of a before after type of thing. I will post it soon. This is painting 282 in daily painting series. Painting Sold.

New York Mets Logo Baseball by Darren Maurer

2009-04-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

After I painted the baseball in my previous blog post I received a request from a collector in New York City to complete a commission New York Mets baseball. Lettering and logos always provide a challenge when included in a painting. It always makes me crazy seeing bad letter structure in paintings. I have been an art director at a sign company for over twenty years and lettering structure mistakes jump out at me very quickly. It can really make or break your piece when done well or poorly.

While I was working on this I could not get the old Garrett Morris skit from Saturday Night Live out of my head. Morris' most famous character was Latino baseball player Chico Escuela who best line was, "Baseball been berra, berra good to me." The funniest thing to me in the skit was the tell-all book he wrote entitled, "Bad Stuff 'Bout the Mets" Then he gives an example in the interview about "Ed Kranepool, a Mets player in the 60's and 70's, "He borrow Chico's soap and never give it back". Classic funny stuff. I'm laughing while I'm writing this. This is painting 281 in my Painting A Day Series. Commission Painting - Sold.

Baseball - Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-04-21T21:53:00.001-07:00

6" x 6"

The start of baseball season usually means spring is here. I painted this to signify the simple aspects of baseball. The kids, little league, home town rivalries, and going to Dairy Queen afterwards win or lose. That's what we did when I was younger. Usually members from the opposing team were there also. We all sat together and talked baseball. That was fun. That was baseball to me. This is painting 280 in my Painting A Day Series. I will offer this piece on eBay starting Wednesday evening unless someone emails me before then to claim it. $100 UPDATE: Painting sold at 8:08am

Now That's A Big Pickle!! by Darren Maurer

2009-04-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

16" x 48"

I finished another painting that has been in progress for awhile. Showing it on the easel will give you an idea of the scale. I somehow got this vision of a pickle spear in my head about a month ago and knew I wanted to paint it. I am really having fun painting some larger paintings in between my miniatures. I just need to find a place to market them now. Painting Available $750. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Hometown Cafe Table - by Darren Maurer

2009-04-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

24" x 36"

Here is a larger sized painting I have been working on. I've included a photograph of it on my easel to show the scale of the piece. I really like the fact that all the condiments are backlit from the window causing the shadows to be in the foreground. I have another painting subject I'm going to be working on from this same cafe. I'm also going to paint it larger.....maybe 36" x 48"? More on that later. Painting Available $1500. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Pink Flip Flops - by Darren Maurer

2009-04-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

Summer will be here soon. My daughters have several of these flip flop shoes that they wear all summer long and well into the fall. I saw this pink pair under my computer desk this morning and wanted to paint them. They were difficult to photograph and capture the vivid strength of the pink paint. The original color is very nice against a cool grey background. This is painting 279 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Available $100. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Crystal Bowl Strawberries - by Darren Maurer

2009-03-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

6" x 6"

My good friend, Mick McGinty, is one of best painters of glass I have seen. I always marvel at all the little reflections and refractions he paints into his work to make the glass real. I found this little bowl at a second hand store today and loved how it looked with a couple of fresh strawberries inside. The glass bowl has little raised ridges that are twisted around the bowl from the top to the bottom. They are also wider at the top and narrow down as the reach the bottom edge. I have painted many glass objects in the past but this piece might be the most complex one I have attempted. painting glass is actually just like painting anything else.....paint what you see and not what you think you see. Check out Mick's work also, you can find him by clicking here http://www.twiceaweek.blogspot.com/

This is painting 278 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Available $100. (Click Here for Purchase Details)

Micro-Masterpieces "Lifesaver" Exhibit by Darren Maurer

2009-03-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Paintings are Listed for Sale.
Lifesavers by Darren Maurer
Click HERE to see the entire collection of paintings.

Lady Bug - Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-03-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

4" x 6"

Before anyone emails and says, "Hey!!!!! That's not a lady bug!!! Its a rare European Derbyshire Aphid Eater." Please continue reading this educational blog post. Coccinellidae is a family of beetles, known variously as ladybirds (British English, Australian English, South African English), ladybugs (North American English) or lady beetles (preferred by some scientists). Lesser-used names include ladyclock, lady cow, and lady fly. The family name comes from its type genus, Coccinella. Coccinellids are found worldwide, with over 5,000 species described, and more than 450 are native to North America alone. So......I don't know which species this particular beetle is but he or she landed near my easel tonight while I was working and the inspiration hit me. A very fun subject to paint and also a very cooperative one I must say. This is painting 277 in Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Peeps #3 by Darren Maurer

2009-03-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

5" x 5"

I have painted a Peeps portrait every year near Easter time since beginning this daily painting blog almost three years ago. Here is Peeps #3. I always try to come up with a different view and composition for the Peeps. This is painting 276 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Announcement!!!!!!

I am going to be adding a new concept to my miniature paintings very soon. I am opening a new online blog gallery entitled "Micro-Masterpieces." The name is courtesy of my daughter Emily and is a spin off and addition to my current "Miniature Masterpieces" blog. I think the name is brilliant! The concept for this blog will be original micro-sized 3" x 3" paintings posted in themed groups. Groups of paintings will be posted throughout the month and email invitations will be sent to those on my subscription list. I want it to simulate a gallery opening with the paintings available to view and purchase at a listed price of $29.99 to $49.99. If you are interested in a piece, just click the "Buy it Now" button to complete the transaction on a first come first serve basis. A brief preview period prior to the exhibit becoming available for purchase will allow you to view the pieces in anticipation of a purchase. I am currently working on the first themed group that will be entitled "Lifesavers". Stay tuned for more information. If you are not currently on my email subscription list you have your name added by clicking the subcribe to mailing list shown to the right.

Coca Cola Can - by Darren Maurer

2009-03-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

8" x 8"

Is there a packaged product anywhere that is more recognizable than a can of Coke? You can instantly recognize Coke in any foreign country. The red can and trademark letter style with wavy stripes always tell you it is a can of Coke. I decided to just paint the top portion of the can and it still works. This was really fun to paint. This is painting 275 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Lollipop - by Darren Maurer

2009-03-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

6" x 7"

When I was kid and one of my parents would use the drive-thru at the bank, the teller would always do a head count for kids in the vehicle. Then my sister and I would get a piece of candy. My favorite bank candy was always these lollipops with the rope handle on them. I don't know where the bank got these because I have never seen them anywhere else. To this day I have never seen them for sale anywhere else. This week I was doing some business at a bank other than my own here in town. I had never stepped foot into the door of this particular bank before today. When I went inside, what did I see in a basket behind the counter? A pile of these lollipops. Of course I had to ask for one. I for sure wanted to use it for a painting and then consume it while riding around in the back seat of a green 1968 Ford LTD. We thought the built in 8-track player was soooooooooooooooooooo cool. This is painting 274 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Available $100. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Bobber - Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-03-12T21:11:00.001-07:00

3" x 3"

A good friend of ours, Diane, is a teacher in town. She has a student this year, Parker, that is interested in painting. We invited her to bring Parker by sometime to talk about painting. This evening Diane came over with Parker and his mother. Parker brought a painting that he recently finished of a black labrador retriever with a mallard duck in his mouth. Very nice work. They hung out in my studio and watched me paint while I was working on this bobber painting. We discussed color control, mixing color, differences between oil and acrylic paint, catching largemouth bass, our favorite lures to fish with, treating your sister nice, and lots of other things. I finished the painting and signed it and wanted to give it to Parker. He agreed and we found a small box for him to transport it home. We will get together again and use some acrylic paint next time. I enjoyed meeting him and his mom. I'm sorry to inform all of you out there that might have been interested in this painting......it is now in the private collection of Parker. This is painting 273 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Not Available.

Peppermint Candy Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-03-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

5" x 5"

I'm sort of at a loss for anything too interesting to write about tonight. The peppermint candy isn't very interesting I guess. I do like how the candy and the clear plastic wrapper look though. It was fun paint. This is painting 272 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Tootsie Pop - by Darren Maurer

2009-03-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

3" x 6"

Is there a better lollipop anywhere than the tootsie pop? I think not. This painting went very well. I like all the subtle details in the lollipop area. There were all kinds of reflections coming from my window. The reflections on the unlit side were blue in color. This is painting 271 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Egg - Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-03-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

5" x 7"

I like cracking open an egg and letting it do whatever. It is the same everytime and it is different everytime. The time of day, location in the room, the difference in the light from the window, the color of the surface beneath the egg all of these variables plus and endless amount of others make a contribution to how the egg appears. This one had a funky light reflection on it from a nearby window. It reminded me of painting an egg and then painting little abstract paintings on top of it. My favorite part of the entire painting is the little bubble in the egg white. This is painting 270 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Available $100. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Orange Section - Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-02-28T23:34:00.000-08:00

4" x 6"

I apologize for my absence the past two weeks. I have been working on a larger painting that has been taking much of time and multi-tasking is not one of my strong points. This peeled section of an orange made a great painting subject today. I really like how the light travels through the fruit and sort of illuminates the bottom side of the section. The color changes toward the bottom to more of a reddish orange much like light underwater gets dimmer and darker the deeper it travels into the water column. This is painting 269 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Available $100. (Email Me for Purchase Details)

Iowa Ducks Unlimited Print of the Year

2009-02-16T22:38:00.000-08:00

24" x 30"

I'm very happy and honored to announce this painting I posted a few weeks ago was chosen as the winner of the Iowa Ducks Unlimited Print of the Year contest in Des Moines last Saturday afternoon. The title that comes with this honor is being named Iowa Artist of the Year by Iowa Ducks Unlimited. I was going to try and make it to the competition site Saturday but a heavy snow across southern Iowa made me change my mind on traveling. I spent Valentine's Day at home with my three sweethearts instead of spending it Des Monies discussing ducks all afternoon. Everything has a way of working itself out. I will post more about this painting as time goes on and keep everyone informed of any developments related to this news.

The Last Slice of Pepperoni Pizza, by Darren Maurer

2009-02-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

6" x 9"

Whenever we have pizza both of my daughters' top choice is always pepperoni. I have painted pepperoni pizza before and have always been happy the finished product. This one is no different but I think my favorite areas of this painting are the greasy spots on the bottom of the cardboard pizza box. They were way too much fun to paint. This is painting 268 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.

Duck Stamp Entry - by Darren Maurer

2009-02-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

6-1/2 x 11"

This is my Iowa Duck Stamp entry for next weekend's competition. It has been a roller coaster ride getting through this one. The painting would go from looking good to not looking so good. I finished it late last night. I will send it off to the competition tomorrow.

Water Glass & Brush - Daily Painting by Darren Maurer

2009-02-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

6" x 6"

This painting is a very limited palette. I like the fact that the brush provides the lone spot of color. I think I managed to capture the clean clear look of a cool glass of water in this painting. As I was working on it I started thinking about the optimist vs. pessimist analogy. Is the glass half full or half empty? This is painting 267 in my Painting A Day Series. Painting Sold.