In the Art Studio Still Life Painting

Until the end of December, my Monday morning posts are about noticing blessings and things I am thankful for receiving. Due to my schedule this week, I am posting on Sunday instead.

What I am noticing is that I often take action when I am feeling blessed. For example, I am thankful for the local apples and pears we have been devouring over the last couple of weeks. So good! In fact, good enough to want to put a few in a new still life painting.

First, let’s set everything up and take a photograph or sixty just for fun. The painting will be from a different perspective but this gives us the idea…

Image available for purchase HERE.

Now for the beginning of the still life painting.

It is hard to see but the whole canvas has a light wash to tone down the white and then I just begin to find the shapes and colour relations not really worrying about the final result too much at all. Things will change and move around with time and light. The idea is just to get started somewhere.

Working wet-on-wet or alla prima I continue to build up the paint on this roughed in start. The minutes slip by and eventually the painting time can be counted in a few hours…

I must quit now. There is a meeting. There is super and then the full moon pushes against the fog and sleep arrives under the night sky. In the morning I push on. I set it to “rest” and have some breakfast. I make a few edits. The day passes into night and I make few more edits on the still-wet oil painting, until …

PITCHER APPLES PEARS on a 16 x 20 inch canvas

We now have a study of whites and how they are always leaning towards one colour or another. The tastes, smells and texture of this still life have slid onto the canvas. For this magic of creative process I am thankful.

Now to clean up the studio but before we do, one last shot…

Some of the pears and apples have been eaten. The brushes have been clean and the paint on the palette is drying but it is all still here.

May your Sunday be rejuvenating and bring a sense of awareness and comfort.

What blessings do your actions tell you that you are noticing?

Liberal usage granted with written permission. See “About” for details.

Creative Potager – Visit with painter and photographer Terrill Welch

From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada

For gallery and purchase information about Terrill’s photographs and paintings go to http://terrillwelchartist.com

Alla Prima: An Artist’s Race (paigeclarkfc.wordpress.com)
Plums Apples and Mostly Sunflowers still life painting (terrillwelchartist.com)
Blackberries Golden Plums Transparent Apple Still Life Painting (terrillwelchartist.com)
Golden Plums An Apple And A Green Vase Still Life Painting (terrillwelchartist.com)

9 thoughts on “In the Art Studio Still Life Painting”

a photograph or sixty – hehehe – I totally know that feeling.
Your painting is fantastic, full of energy, as always!

creativepotager

October 21, 2013 at 10:10 am

Thank you Annerose! This is what I often say to myself when I drop by your blog to see what is on the easel as well.

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- annerose
  
  October 21, 2013 at 3:42 pm
  
  Well thank you back!
  
  Reply

What an interesting way to pose that question—what blessings do your ACTIONS tell you are noticing. That’s the opposite way I tend to think of things, but so very astute observation. I couldn’t wait to post my blessing post until tomorrow. Had to post it yesterday. Had some eagle magic! P.S. Part of me always wishes I was an artist like you when visiting your site.

creativepotager

October 21, 2013 at 10:13 am

I like to find unusual ways to think about things Kathy. It keeps us just slightly off balancing and discovering new ways of seeing. It was your post that got me thinking maybe I wouldn’t wait until Monday either 🙂 Today is going to be busy and I had the post all laid out in my mind so I went for it!

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Terrill – I l-o-v-e to watch the progression you use in some of your posts. (Don’t look now, but the fruit looked so inviting, I snagged a piece)…

You asked, “What blessings do your actions tell you that you are noticing?”

I can’t “show” you here, but on my Facebook wall I just posted a 15-second video clip of Len and I at the end of a very long walk with Lexi and Willa at Lippold Park. Our actions tell that we love our animal companions — that they’re a very large part of our life.