When the peonies bloom, I am compelled to do at least one painting of them before they fade away. In the painting below, the big luscious blooms and the subtle colors begged me to paint them. Peonies are one of my favorite flowers. I like to make them the focal point of my painting with some supporting elements that pick up the color in the flowers. The dark background provided a good contrast with the flowers. In the second painting, it is the grapes and the light that command attention. This still life was a bit more complex and took 3 sessions to complete. The subject matter was brought from a foggy beginning to a strong highlighted finish. The hydrangeas were layered from blocked in shapes, then more defined form, with the final layer of pink blue and yellow petals adding visual blending by the viewer to emphasize their color subtleties The grapes actually shriveled up before I finished. I replaced them with ones that were a bit fuller and had a stem which I highlighted to draw the viewers eye into the painting. The bright light hitting the yellow pitcher is repeated in the grape reflections adding warmth and a glow to make them jump out and feel accessible to the viewer.
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| Peonies with cherries/11x14/2017 |
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| Grapes and the big yellow pitcher/11x14/Oct.2017 |
