#105 "Copper Pot and Fruit" 8x10 oil on linen panel

"Copper Pot and Fruit" 8x10 oil on linen panel

Well it's been awhile. I've really been in a rut and haven't found time to paint!  Seems I can't get to my studio lately! Found some time this week and decided to do another still life. After the plein air class last April, I was totally discouraged. I didn't complete one satisfactory painting the whole week! Looking back, I can see a couple of things that I would have changed. First of all, I used my alkyds. They are fine in the studio but outside, they dry too quickly for me. I'm slow which is another reason I have trouble. dIn a still life, I control the environment. Plein aire.... not the case! I need to practice over and over outside in order to "get it!" Hopefully I will make myself do it.

The reason I say all of this is because, when I'm in a rut, I go back to creating a simple still life. There is nothing like painting from life. I get to think about exactly what I want it to look like, compose it carefully, choose my key and then lay out my pots of paint. Usually 2 or 3 pots that I will use for my values. In my studio, lighting doesn't change and, clouds and shadows aren't moving etc. like that!

I've practiced with fruit quite a bit. This time I decided to add a copper pot that I found in a thrift shop in Palm Springs last February. The biggest challenge here for me was to make sure I drew the pot correctly! The pot had a handle and a spout. I never did paint in the handles but I did have the spout. After looking at it I decided that the spout added nothing so... with a few strokes of the brush, gone!!! Once I felt I had what I wanted...the fruit was pretty easy and I was off to the races!!!

The second biggest challenge was creating a combination of values and colors that gave the impression of copper. For my first attempt, I'm very satisfied. I bought a few other copper pots etc. that day. I have a feeling I'll be doing more!