Painting a Day: T. J. Murphy
Daily painting exercises in tonal realism since February 2013; adorned with terrible puns since 2014.
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Exhibition: Leave No Tone Unturned
Monday, 31 March 2025
Lemons with Stoneware Jars
To truly paint something you have to get into the mind of the object; therefore, if you think like a stone(ware), it's a piece of pith.
Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"
Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Workshop: An Approach to Tonal Realism
Monday, 24 March 2025
Small Copper Jug with Persimmon
I've painted this small copper jug many, many times, which reminds me of the old saying, little and often fills the persimmon.
Oil on canvas board, 6" x 4"
Friday, 21 March 2025
Onions with Saucepan
I painted this at my partner's place where I'm still trying to figure out the lighting. Though I'm fairly confident that I know my onions, I wasn't sure how the pot would pan out.
Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"
Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Monday, 10 March 2025
Williatts Lane, Pipers Creek
Not much to offer in the way of a pun I'm afraid, just this lane excuse for word play.
Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"
Friday, 28 February 2025
Banana with Blue School Case
Bananas contain high levels of tryptophan which can apparently help with a small case of the blues.
Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"
Monday, 24 February 2025
Sunday, 23 February 2025
Still Life with Pumpkin and Enamelware Plate
This natural light painting was a bit of a challenge -- I had to find a compromise somewhere between painting the light falling on the pumpkin and maintaining the bright orange colour. I'm not sure it quite worked, but I wonder if I should have painted this at night instead: if I painted until midnight it might just have turned into a pumpkin.
Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"
Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Tomatoes with Peacock Vacuum Bottle
These tomatoes were grown in my vegetable garden and are, by definition, the most organic element in this painting. They appear to be snuggling up to the Peacock bottle, leading me to conclude that nature adores a vacuum.
Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"
Saturday, 1 February 2025
Monday, 27 January 2025
Tomato with Small Brown Jug
Jugs are brown, tomatoes are red,
Can't think of a pun, here's a couplet instead.
Oil on canvas board, 4" x 6"
Sunday, 26 January 2025
Hochgurtel Fountain at the Royal Exhibition Buildings
Whilst I'm not disappointed with this painting, it's hardly the high water mark.
Oil on canvas board, 8" x 10"
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Eggplant with cream milk jug
I'm unsure of what it is that eggs me on, but I can't keep from milking the same old jokes.
Oil on canvas board, 4" x 6"
Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Dahlia Flower in Glass Vase
I considered painting multiple flowers, but thought it best to take one dahlia at a time.
Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"
Saturday, 18 January 2025
Pullman Hotel from Fitzroy Gardens
The hotel in the distance lodged into view.
Monday, 13 January 2025
Copy: Percy Leason Self Portrait
This is a copy of a Percy Leason self portrait -- from the collection of the Castlemaine Art Museum -- that I painted as a class exercise. It was cut into eight sections, with students given the task of painting one section each, upside down, in an effort to disguise the final picture. At the end of class, each section was brought together to form the whole.
You could say this gave the picture a new Leason life.
Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"
Monday, 6 January 2025
Friday, 27 December 2024
Vintage Fan
At the beginning this painting was a breeze, but the complexity of the subject soon became tedious. I must admit, when it comes to complexity like this, I'm not a fan.
Oil on canvas board, 16" x 20"