The Girls Just Wanna Paint theme for this month was vintage. Our vintage home is filled with vintage pieces... art, dishes, books, furnishings, etc. Interestingly, I had a very hard time figuring out where to direct my vintage attentions. I have always loved faceted silver, and chose this silver pitcher with beaded rim and the crystal jam jar with faceted silver top and spoon. I picked up some non-vintage raspberry jam as a good complement to the cool silver hues. The aqua cloth is a remnant from the home where I grew up. My mother had her mother's loveseat recovered in this beautifully textured fabric. Mom had the piece in her studio and used it as a backdrop for her own still life setups. When I hold it, I feel the generations. It was the right choice for a vintage-themed painting.
Here are some process photos. I tinted the canvas with a cad red light/cad orange mix, knowing that most of the still life was cool, leaving the opportunity for some warm to peek through. I then began with the large shapes, adding the highlight early on, knowing I would need to back all other values down at least a half value to let the highlight glow. I warmed the jam under the light, and cooled it in shadow. Then, made a late pass, remembering that the glass needs to show what is in it, on it, and through it.
As always, thank you for looking, and you know I love your comments.
A few years ago, my daughter and I took a school trip to France. She was enthralled with the chandeliers on our trip. As a result, I have photos of a number of opulent lighting fixtures from our trip. This is a chandelier hanging in one of Versailles multitude of rooms. I loved its crystals, sparkling in front of the window. Every inch of each room in this palace is decorated, dripping with detail and beauty. A feast.
When we arrived in Paris, we met our local guide for the days we were there. I will always remember her elegant appearance and her first statement to our busload of tourists. "Bonjour. My name is Helene avec un "H"". It sounded like, "Bonjour, my name is Elaine avec un haiche". She was terrific. She is pictured here below.
This is my hundred thirtieth daily drawing. As always, thank you for looking.
