Painted in, July 2025. 19.5” x 15.75”.
Acrylic on stretched canvas. Price $310.00 Cdn. Unframed
I wanted this still life to be a meditation on light and shadow. Where cast shadows created shapes and reflecting light told its own story. The tulips reminded me of simple notes on a musical score, and I used the idea of music to inform me while painting. Although a still life is static by nature, I wanted this painting to sing.
I kept the palette for this painting simple, just black (using Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue), Cadmium Yellow Primrose, and Titanium White. The colour yellow is restricted to the lemons and tulips and the background was purposely dark so that they would stand out even more. If you look closely at the lemons and the tulips, you will see a range of colours in both the objects and their shadows.
The jug has both hard edges and lost edges where it disappears into the background. I found the texture of the ceramic jug to be fascinating as well as a challenge. I wanted the painting to have volume and texture, both on the jug as well as the curtain behind the flowers.The lighting is an important compositional tool in this painting as it helps me to create volume. Lastly, I wanted all the objects to relate to each other and the composition to lead your eye around the painting. The use of shadows helps to direct the eye across, up and around the painting.
