Some recent still life work

 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.

Peonies with cherries/11x14/2017

Grapes and the big yellow pitcher/11x14/Oct.2017 

Pink Hydrangeas

The Pink Hydrangea 11x14

Pink Hydrangea with teapot 12x16

These pink hydrangeas stayed looking great for so long that I ended up painting them twice. Such is the advantage of a potted plant over cut flowers.The first painting I did with a simple pitcher  and focused on the plant and the lighting. I am a big fan of red and love the warmth and harmony of the set up. The second time I painted the hydrangea with more items concentrating  on the overall movement and color harmonies while still keeping the lighting a major element. The fluted and undulating surface of the teapot  added a challenge that the more simplified pitcher did not. The grapes withered half way through and had to be completed mostly from memory. I like the simplicity of the first, but enjoyed the challenge of the second.