I have a confession to make: I'm not a very fast painter. (Yet! I'm working on that.) So whenever I set up a still life of perishable objects I estimate how long it will take to paint. This is important why? Because flowers wilt and food left out of the fridge goes bad! And when they go bad they're not particularly pleasant, if you know what I mean. So, if my set up is threatening to turn, the bad news is that I've got to work fast. But that's good news too, because it doesn't leave much time to overwork the painting. And if you've read my previous post, you'll know I prefer to keep my paintings looking fresh.
Okay, so here's my strategy. First I do a quick pencil drawing and lay a light wash or two of color over the whole composition. This establishes where all the objects will go, what their general color is, and the direction of the light. It gives me an overall impression of where the painting is headed. Then I get right to work on any fragile vegetable matter, finishing it as quickly as I can. When that's done I breathe a sigh of relief, because then I can take my time completing the rest of the painting. Phew.
That was my plan for the painting below. My bouquet had been around for a few days and was just beginning to fade around the edges. After tossing out a few lifeless flowers I needed to put the remaining ones into a smaller vase. When I took a bunch of vases down from the shelf to make a choice they looked so pretty together with all their different shapes, sizes and colors. So I decided to put them all into the painting. Hey, Giorgio Morandi did it, so why not me.
You can click on the image to see it larger, to purchase, or to contact me about this painting. Thanks for visiting!
Okay, so here's my strategy. First I do a quick pencil drawing and lay a light wash or two of color over the whole composition. This establishes where all the objects will go, what their general color is, and the direction of the light. It gives me an overall impression of where the painting is headed. Then I get right to work on any fragile vegetable matter, finishing it as quickly as I can. When that's done I breathe a sigh of relief, because then I can take my time completing the rest of the painting. Phew.
That was my plan for the painting below. My bouquet had been around for a few days and was just beginning to fade around the edges. After tossing out a few lifeless flowers I needed to put the remaining ones into a smaller vase. When I took a bunch of vases down from the shelf to make a choice they looked so pretty together with all their different shapes, sizes and colors. So I decided to put them all into the painting. Hey, Giorgio Morandi did it, so why not me.
You can click on the image to see it larger, to purchase, or to contact me about this painting. Thanks for visiting!
Bouquet with Vases, Watercolor, 8x10 in
I'd love to hear from you!
Click on the comment section below to add your questions and comments.
Click on the comment section below to add your questions and comments.
