I create still life paintings to bring attention to the visual exquisiteness of fresh produce, the seemingly everyday objects that provide us sustenance. I initially started with "Still Life with Attitude," my irreverent series depicting produce set up in personified and often "suggestive" manners. I am excited to announce a new still life series of daily paintings.
We all know the adage “you are what you eat.” I want to be art. The implication is that by consuming beautiful, wholesome foods, you will in turn inherit this beauty in the form of health. I purchase fruit and vegetables for my subjects grown sustainably and local to Idaho whenever possible. If not grown locally, I select foods from producers from small farms and with a commitment to fair trade and wages.
I use 4" x 5" and 5" x 5" canvases and paint the subject in one sitting, working alla prima (wet-on-wet paint). My goal is to capture the rich color and texture of the fruit or vegetable, those traits that make it desirable to consume. I currently use a dark gray or matte black painted wood base for the subject to help the color and texture pop off the canvas.
I will show my first batch of these small oil paintings at my March show at Flying M Coffee House. Watch my Etsy store for these little paintings, coming soon...