Happy New Year!
I have been away from the blog awhile. Which also means I haven't painted in awhile, but hey, we all need a break now and then to refuel our creativity, right? If not painting for awhile refuels one's creativity, then why is it so hard to get started again? Trust me - the secret to being productive and creative is to keep the momentum going - not taking a break. But I must say here that the break was FUN - lots of family around, and that was wonderful!

So here I go! The thought of winter still lifes can be rather boring and non-inspiring, but I think we have to realize it is the lighting, colors, and composition that make it fun - not just the objects. Maybe not even the objects at all. We have all done oranges and pears. This white pitcher has been in my paintings previously. For something new - I found the tall skinny bottle at a second hand shop recently, and a friend that knows I love anything with blue and white stripes just brought me the dish towel. What I am finding compelling about doing this painting is the lighting. I set it up in a cardboard box and angled a bright light on it. I did this sketch so I could see just the strong values (lights and darks) - they are harder to spot with a colorful palette in front of you and in the "frenzy" of painting. Besides, I may eat some of the fruit for my lunch.

I'll keep you updated on the progress of the painting. It isn't going to be very large - a quarter sheet (11 X 15).