Neutral palette, detail of painting in progress

For years I have been trying to appreciate the patina on my oil palette but finally decided it just confuses me so a few nights ago, before leaving the studio, I painted my palette gray with acrylic paint. In the morning, voila! a nice neutral surface to mix color upon.

 
Last week I delivered four flower paintings to Attic Gallery, Camas, WA for their invitational flower show. Now I'm working on a 24 x 24 inch floral still life on wood panel. Love this surface. Trying to paint slowly with thoughtful values, marks and colors. It amuses me that I began making fine art with colored pencil - a super slow medium the way I wanted it to look. Then pastel...very fast! Now working in oil but trying to  s l o w  d o w n.

Here's the painting-in-progress and a detail shot. I got tired of painting flowers so I moved on to the blue glassy baby. I received my training in making something look like glass when I illustrated perfume bottles for a major Seattle department store in the mid 1960's. Very fun. This time it is a blue glassy baby. Back to the flowers tomorrow...or maybe the cherrywood fireplace mantle.