"Perfect Elements"

($40.00.....6" x 6" mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Nature offers the most perfect elements for a still life." So often we think of a still life as perfectly selected items arranged with a strong light and then painted. I much prefer to have a still life composed of the natural elements seen in nature. If you look closely on your next walk, you will see small still life arrangements everywhere. What a visual delight!

Notice the strong division of space created by taking a close up shot and then effectively cropping the image to create one strong positive space (the pine cones) and two strong negative space shapes (the area at the top and bottom of the pine cones). There are many diagonals created by the shape and structure of the pine cone which creates all of the drama. If you drew an outline around the outside perimeter of the cones, there would also be diagonals. Even the blue brush strokes at the bottom create more diagonals. They are very important and worth noticing.

The lettering is more of my attempts at expressive lettering with changes in the spacing and odd angles in direction. Instead of using black ink, I mixed up Perylene Violet Gouache + Prussian Blue and a bit of Raw Umber. It's much more vibrant than black and creates a bit more vibration with the gold tones of this piece. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.