Belated Valentine!

Valentine Reds, 16"x16" oil on stretched canvas

The idea here was to explore the qualities of different reds: Pyrrol Red, Cadmium Red, Permanent Magenta, etc.  The  large chocolate heart was covered in red tin foil...a challenge to paint!  I painted the heart trying to get the volume and values right and then glazed it with Pyrrol Red, which gets it red, and then went back in to pick up a few little highlights in white to try to get that sheen of tin  foil.  The heart, rose and candies were on a bed of pink tissue paper, over a red velvety fabric. This was an exercise in using the colour red and in creating texture.  Done in Still Life Class & Colour Theory at Ian Shatilla Studios...a great course and a great teacher!

Small Format Again

Secret Garden Pond, 8" x8" oil on canvas board

This painting is based on a photo of the little pond in our back garden which is now buried under much snow!  By pond, I mean a small pond with a flat dish - like shape beside a large rock and a little statue, with a small water pump feature that circulates the water up from the pond and then down onto the flat dish where it pools and then overflows back into the little pond.  The sound of the trickling water is very soothing.   What I tried to capture was the texture created by all the different leaf shapes and rhythms.  Also, the play of light and dark.  A little bit of summer in the depth of February, though today with the sun and the warmer temperature, there was hope!

A Larger Still Life

Antique Kitchen Utensil, 14" x 18", oil on stretched canvas

Back on to a larger surface in this work.  Working with only one object on a larger canvas poses the challenge of how to keep the whole space interesting and active.  I used a very limited palette here, mostly of Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber and Titanium White, with a bit of Alizarin Crimson, Cobalt Blue and Raw Sienna.  The beater is quite neat.  You press down on it and the whole thing compresses, causing the wire whisk to turn.  Very clever!