Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Sugar cubes, silver sugar spoon

" Sugar Cubes & Lemon "
Oil
6"x6"
Very challenging to paint tiny little cubes. The color here is off and I couldn't get it right on my photo shop program. The lower right shadows and cubes should be more green..oh, well. I added the grains of sugar because they were there... and I finally noticed them. I think they add a bit of depth and sparkle.
Private Collection

7 comments:

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

Oh, Jennifer.
Beautiful balance in your paintings.
This sparkles. I love it.

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Thanks, Mary. The beauty of still life is having total control of the composition, moving things around until I like the design. I use a viewfinder to help see the composition..afterall, the four sides of the painting are the beginning and end? of a painting.
When I use a photo for reference I also use "croppers", pieces of black paper that I can move to determine the best design. Also, tracing paper to trace key elements, say a building or animal that I don't like where it is now, I can take the tracing and move that about. I also design from several photos, using this and that and overlap the tracings, much like an "old fashioned commercial artist" might do. So many ways to come to a pleasing composition. I admonish my students that nothing, like paint, can improve a bad composition; composition first, then value, then color. They don't like hearing that color takes third place! If they trust, then they learn quickly that it is the dull values and darks that make the bright colors pop. Take the time to get the composition right from the start. Of course no one bats close to 400 when it comes to painting!

Karen Hargett said...

Sweet! Another favorite. I love how the clear plate picks up so many of the surrounding colors. Then there is that wonderful spoon! Love it!

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Thanks, Karen. Objects that reflect colors are a great way to repeat bits of a color for balance in a painting. I'm glad you like this one.

Cara said...

Jennifer - my first visit to your site and WOW! I love this painting. I'll be back again and again. Thanks again for the advice (link) you left on my blog -

Jennifer Bellinger said...

Thanks, Cara. I hope the link is helpful. Here it is again in case anyone reads this and needs help on how to set up a great little light box to photograph their daily paintings or other small artwork. http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

I like how you capture the glass plate and the cool colors of the shadows.

When you get a chance, please drop by my blog, as I have tagged you!