Pies on Pans -- Sold!

Pies on Pans, 21"x27", acrylic, © B. Sistak Baur

Pies on Pans with its viewpoint of looking right into a pie case is a design study with ellipses.  Ellipses are circles as seen from the side. You see them everywhere throughout your day but we usually just call them circles. 

Ellipses are challenging shapes for anyone painting or drawing. To better understand and perhaps conquer ellipses, I suggest a new column in the NY Times called Line by Line.  This is a delightful series on the pleasures of drawing and one entry is all about ellipses.

--Barb

Update -- this lovely painting has a new home!  It is heading to a Gallery / Frame / Pie Shop in Kansas City, Missouri. This is the perfect setting!  When I get more information on the location, I will post it here. 

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Guava Cheese Tart II -- Sold!

Guava Cheese Tart II, acrylic, 11"x14", framed, $400. © B Sistak Baur

I enjoyed this technique so much that this is the second painting of this item. I changed a couple of things and worked on the shawdows.
-- Barb

UPDATE -- SOLD -- Off to San Fransisco this painting goes.  It is a Thiebaud Style Painting with a Minimalist Cheesecake.

Created in the style of Wayne Thiebaud. 

It has a mid-Century look as minimalist portrait of a single cheesecake.

Swirls are created with flowing, gel-like media. 

Shown sitting on a glass shelf, as if in a bakery case, with classic cast shadow.

Bright and colorful. Acrylic Paint. 

Ready to hang in a contemporary black wood frame. 

www.sistakbaur.com

Cupcake Array on Green

Cupcake Array on Green

30"x 40" on Canvas

© Barbara Sistak Baur

Sold

Close Up

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Fruit Tarts

Fruit Tarts Red

These are 6"x4".  People often get them in pairs at the art fairs.

These two are sold.

Fruit Tarts Yellow

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Fruit Tart Blue

Fruit Tart on Blue

This is a mini painting -- just 3" high by 4" wide. It has a little black frame. It is very popular! And Sold.

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Clementines

Clementines on a Raised Plate

Clementines on a Shelf

Each of these are mini's -- 3"x4" inches. They are adorable! And all Sold.

Clementines in a Glass Bowl

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Little Cupcakes

Cupcake Lemon

Cupcake Mint

Cupcake Sherbet

Each of these little paintings are 4"x3".  Sold.

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Long, Lovely Loaves in the Market

Bread at the Market, 14"x11" , © B Sistak Baur

Rich, warm colors are great to work with but it is the setting of this painting that was the attraction for me. Recreating this scene -- placing the bread in a market -- was exciting. I created a stylized, simplified background to sharply contrast the more detailed basket and lovely, long bread loaves -- unpackaged and obviously fresh. Layers of paint define the individual loaves in the bundle. In the close up, you can see the interplay of colors that define the depth and loave textures. Bread texture is very satisfying in both eating and in re-creating on  canvas.

Bread at the Market, Close Up, © B Sistak Baur

The vertical format emphasizes the shape of the loaves. On my website, I have matched this painting with two others that share the same format.  See how they look together and let me know what you think. This painting is currently available to be shown. Please call me if you would like a personal appointment.

--Barb
www.SistakBaur.com

This painting has been sold.
 

Gem of a Painting

A Slice, 9"x12", acrylic on board, framed. © B Sistak Baur

You could say this new work is a "gem." Not because it is so wonderful (it is but that's not the reason), but because the berries are created from a medium that has actual ground garnet in it. This not only gives it a great berry texture but it also contributes to the berry color. The crust is created with a modeling paste to provide the heft it needs for the berries. The chocolate layer on the bottom is a "poured" syrupy mixture that I create myself. I was inspired to do this painting because it has a pop-culture look and recalls some of the famous pop-culture artists of the 50's and 60s. I combined that look with my textural techniques. You can see a larger image of this painting at my new website.

Large Fruit Tart

Large Fruit Tart, acrylic, 11"x14", framed. © B Sistak Baur

The colors of the bright fruits beckoned me to do this painting. They are so distinctive and placed so beautifully. I found the inspiration for this piece in a bountiful French bakery where color and presentation are paramount.

Each fruit piece is individually sculpted with impasto acrylic paint using painting knives. They are shaped directly on the painting support so they are applied in the layers and allowed to dry before going on. The exception are the berries which are created separate from the painting, dried and later placed on the painting.

Iced Cake with Chocolate Sprinkles

Iced Cake with Chocolate Sprinkles, acrylic, 9"x12", framed, $300. © B Sistak Baur

I have painted this cake before but always in a different color (I often change the color of what I paint). I finally decided to do this little cake portrait in its actual hue.

Acrylic paint is mixed with heavy medium to achieve icing consistency. After it is “spread,” paint chips are sprinkled for the chocolate decoration.

Fruit Cookie I

From a very colorful bakery case, it was fun to figure out what the central focus would be. Several of the central pieces are executed in a similar impasto style so the challenge here was to be sure I created the depth needed. My experiment on this was to use an impasto style that is slightly lower in depth and with many colors placed side by side. There are two paintings like this. ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur, 11”x14”, acrylic. Sold.

Café Table

With a friend, I was visiting cafes and bakeries to snap reference photos for upcoming paintings. This was in Andersonville in Chicago, an area well-known for its bakeries. I believe this was at A Taste or Heaven, 5401 N Clark St. Of course, we had to endulge. When I saw these treats sitting on their plates, I knew instantly that they would make a delightful little painting. The two treats have the rich impasto technique so they stand out from the rest of the scene. ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur, 11”x14”, acrylic, framed. Sold.

The Baker

The person responsible for the delicious pie is actually in this painting -- we see a glimpse of the baker himself as he just placed the pie on its plate and is scurrying away to his next task. This is another painting where just one pastry has the 3-d impasto technique that I use and the rest of the painting is flat. In this case, we see the pie easily, but the baker comes into focus only after looking for a minute. 14"x11", acrylic, framed. Sold.

Berries Are Tops!

There are several techniques used in this painting include assemblage, palette knife painting for the cake and bun toppings, and traditional blending techniques for the pans. All the berries are created off the painting and then applied to it. I also tried a new combination of modeling paste and tar gel. The result was a very think medium that dripped but held a solid-like shape (the berries). The same combo was used for the bun and custard topping but that was applied with a knife. Berries Are Tops!, 11”x14”, acrylic on panel, with a contemporary black frame. Sold.

Wild Flamingo Lady

Here is a new art table that I just completed for my good friend, Roxanne!  She is wild about flamingos and collects all things flamingo (so long are they are whimsical).  The art table has a painting on the top surface. Then, small pieces of memorabilia are adhered to the surface of the painting. It is edged with trim and the final step is to flood the entire surface with a high gloss resin. This encases the painting and objects and creates a durable surface. The table can be placed into use as a coffee table or end table.  It is okay to place your drinks right on the table -- it wipes clean every time!

Scroll down for more photos.

And there are more photos if you click the Commissions topic to the right

 

Here is the tabletop. You can see the whole painting and the many fun objects.  This flamingo lady is having a wild time with her friends at the tiki bar. She is a fabulous gal!

All dressed up to go out.  And what a great hat! There are little dancing flamingos around the brim. Don't you love the earring?

Trays of Sweets

Large bakery trays sweep into and out of the picture plane creating it own enticing movement. The tones of yellow range from almost white to deep brown. This small painting is 12” x 9”. Sold. ©2007 Barbara Sistak Baur

Art in Library Park, Kenosha, WI

This painting, Cake Reflections, was acquired by the Friends of the Kenosha Public Museum for the museum collection. It was purchased during the Friends' Art in Library Park, July 2o, 2008. It features just one impasto pastry -- the front cake. The other cakes are painted "flat" but they have great texture. The moody blues help move the "behind" cakes further back. The muted reds provide the perfect springboard for the brighter front cake. It is 14"x11" and acrylic. framed.

In addition to this honor, I was awarded Best of Show during the event. How cool is that! The judge was Kim Greene of Carthage College.











Here is what the whole display looks like.

Shaved Chocolate and Berries

Highly textural. Each individual piece of shave chocolate is formed separatelyand placed on the cakes. Each berry is formed separately as well. The icing is applied with palette knives. ©2008 Barbara Sistak Baur, 12”x9”, acrylic. Acquired by the Epic Systems Corporation, Verona, WI.

Library Tables

These two tables, just completed, were commissioned by the Algonquin Area Public Library. The tables feature library-themed paintings on the top. Actual pieces of library memorabilia are adhered to the painting and the entire surface is encased in a protective resin. This allows you to put the tables into actual use, as they are today. I would like to thank the Friends of the Library who funded the art project and library officials who spearheaded this project. See below for more photos (or click the Library Tables Topic), close ups and the a step-by-step description of how the tables were created.