Here is a fantastic Nicolai Fechin portrait from a private collection. "Portrait of a Young Native Man" • Nicolai Fechin • Oil on Canvas • Undated • 19" x 15" • Private Collection Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

My thanks to a valued collector for purchasing one of my latest florals - so nice that it sold quickly. "Beautifully Bruised" • Oil on Linen • 9" x 12” • Private Collection

In this piece by William Nicholson, the artist effectively uses the simplicity of the main flowers as a contrast to a very busy painting. "The Black Pansy" • William Nicholson • Oil on Canvas • 60 x 54.8 cm • 1910 • National Gallery of Victoria

My thanks to a new collector for purchasing this floral last week. "Multifaceted" • Oil on linen • 9" x 12” • Private Collection

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is a still life by American artist Edmund Charles Tarbell. "Still Life: Vase of Peonies" • Edmund Charles Tarbell • Oil on Canvas • 25 1/8" x 21 3/16" • ca. 1925 • Metropolitan Museum of Art Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

My demonstration this morning on the last day of my second floral painting workshop at the Conroe Art League. “Red Amaryllis Study” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 16” • Two Hours

My 90-minute demonstration from life this morning on day two of my second floral painting workshop this year at the Conroe Art League. “Pink Rose Study” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 12” • 90 Minutes

My 90-minute demonstration this morning on day one of my second floral painting workshop this year at the Conroe Art League. “Tulips Study” • Oil on Linen • 9” x 12” • 90 Minutes • SOLD

Here is a rarely seen Nicolai Fechin portrait from a private collection. "Girl with Fan" • Nicolai Fechin • Oil on Canvas • c.1928 • Private Collection Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

A new landscapes is available tonight at the Plein Air Easton Competition and Arts Festival Alumni Invitational show. “Lovely, Dappled & Deep” • Oil on Linen • 15” x 30”

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is an oil sketch by American artist Winslow Homer from the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. "Sketch of a Cottage Yard" • Winslow Homer • Oil on Cardboard • 10 1/4" x 14 1/2" • c. 1876 Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

The 4th of July always brings our dear girl Mellow to mind. Kimberly and I found her wandering near the San Antonio River Walk around this date four years ago. “Mellow” • Oil on Linen • 8” x 8” • Private Collection Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

This week's #MuseumTourTuesday is by Russian painter Léon Gaspard from the permanent collection of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. "Pearl River at Canton" • Leon Gaspard • Oil on Board • 50.8 x 56.5 cm • 1926 Painting photo by Saunders Fine Arts

When we think of flowers, it's all about the petals, but when painting flowers the petals can often become a distraction, causing us to overpaint. "Wild Onions” • Oil on Canvas • 12" x 16" • Private Collection

You've probably seen this piece by American artist Frank Benson before. It's widely distributed as prints. "Calm Morning" • Frank Weston Benson • 1904 • Oil on Canvas • 44.3" x 36.1" • Collection of the @mfaboston.bsky.social Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

My two-hour demonstration this morning on the last day of my first floral painting workshop this year at the Conroe Art League. “Snapdragons Study” • Oil on Linen • 12” x 12” • 2 Hours • SOLD

My two-hour demonstration this morning on the second day of my first floral painting workshop this year at the Conroe Art League. “Poppies Study” • Oil on Canvas • 12” x 16” • 2 Hours

My 60-minute demonstration from life this morning on day one of my first floral painting workshop this year at the Conroe Art League. “Yellow Rose Study” • Oil on Linen • 8” x 10” • 1 Hour

Last week, we lost English painter David Hockney. Unlike much of the current representational art world, his work never centers its focus on craft or technique, and his paintings of his beloved dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie embody this far more interesting approach to painting.

It's okay to go darker than you think you need to. As you develop your painting, those darker values will often feel just right in context. Sign up for more art tips on the Newsletter page of my website, www.PatrickSaunders.com.

You can learn a lot from self-portraits, as the artist tends to approach the painting exactly how they want to, without the constraints of a commission or the opinions of the sitter. "Self-Portrait" • Nicolai Fechin • Oil on Canvas • Undated • Private Collection

It's always important to work a painting as a whole to achieve balance and avoid overpainting. Every stroke, value and color affects the entire piece. #art #fineart #artstream #arttips #arteducation #artinstruction #oilpainting #patricksaunders #patricksaundersfinearts

There is so much to say about this piece by American painter, illustrator and muralist Edwin Austin Abbey. "King Lear, Act I, Scene I" • Edwin Austin Abbey • Oil on Canvas • 54 1/4" x 127 1/4" • 1898 • Metropolitan Museum of Art Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

For #throwbackthursday, a painting in Jerome, Arizona. This piece won Best in Show at the 2016 Sedona Arts Center Plein Air Festival. This was the charming house of the owner of the Rickeldoris Candy & Popcorn Company. "Hillside History, Jerome" • Oil on Panel • 16" x 20" • Private Collection

Flowers move, and that's not easy to capture in a painting, but Nicolai Fechin gives these daisies the appearance of exploding fireworks. "Still Life with Fruit and Flowers" • Nicolai Fechin • Oil on Canvas • Private Collection Painting photos by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

It's hard to find the perfect rose. But then, that's not the point. I find that roses just past their prime are perfect for painting. "Beautifully Bruised" • Oil on Linen • 9" x 12" • Available at PatrickSaunders.com Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

Here's a beautifully designed piece by American artist Irving K. Manoir from the permanent collection of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. "Aspen and Snow" • Irving K. Manoir • Oil on Canvas • 91.4 x 104.1 cm • 1923 Painting photo by @saundersfinearts.bsky.social

Working thin to thick offers much more control over edges in your painting. For a more in-depth look at my process with this particular painting, sign up for my latest newsletter here: patricksaunders.com/signup.html

Let's talk about Manet's dogs. I've shared one of these before, "Minnay," but as a group, they bring me quite a bit of joy. "Tête du chien" Bob • Édouard Manet • Oil on Canvas • 27 x 21 cm • c. 1876 • Collection of Ann & Gordon Getty

My portrait demonstration this morning on the last day of my workshop at the Booth Art Academy. “Horse Portrait Study” • Oil on Linen • 14” x 18” • 2 Hours