Gotta Get Gardening

We live in an ideal ocean location, the only (very minor) drawback is the modest size of our property.  Each year we convert a little more footage into garden space or plant another container of lettuce or herbs.  I'm certain that my ancestors were farmers.   Then again, wasn't every one's?   Lack of acreage is not going to squelch my inborn need to grow things, and I love working out in the garden.   Gardening is a distant second to painting, and since this still life combines two of my passions, it was particularly enjoyable to create. 

The night before an extra long class session, I assembled a few gardening essentials and set up my spotlight.   I was tempted to simplify the set-up, swapping items in and out. I knew that I would have extra painters' eyes on it from fellow students, as well as advice from my teacher the next day.  I decided to go for all of it.   If it bombed, I could always simplify it or just try again.   I consulted with my composition expert (my husband).   He tweaked it and blessed it.  I took a picture and printed it so that I would remember how to set it up.

The next day I arrived for the long class with my favorite objects.  I replicated my composition on a high side table.   A fellow classmate was attracted to my set up as well.  I invited her to paint it along with me.    She obviously would have no way of knowing that I had done an elaborate walk up to get this collection of what looked like casually placed objects to their very particular placements.   She began shifting the items around; I began shifting from foot to foot.    She wisely noted that it was pretty complicated and simple is usually better.   I finally - and I'm sure awkwardly - confessed that I intended to paint it exactly how I had set it up because it was kind of complicated, and given that the setting was a classroom.   We discussed the possibility that she might crop her view of the set up.  Cropping had been a recent class lesson.  In the end, she decided on another set up, which I might add, was simple, fresh and beautiful.

My goal was to make sure that the gloves were most prominent painting element.   The form of my hands and the hours they spent leathered in them produced an imperfect but realistic cast. I liked the way the spotlight picked up just the edges of the fingers.  I had to continue to reassess as the painting emerged.  It seemed like each item I worked on would take its turn jumping into the spotlight, before it had to be subjugated to the gloves.  My fellow students and teacher, as I had hoped, pointed out some critical errors.  One of the seed packets looked like a "bandaide," and was too distracting.   The red handled clippers placed in the back would add some height on the right.  The long format class was so engrossing that I didn't break much.  

Gotta Get Gardening

The following week I added the twine, an important and much used gardening item.  The twine winds from one side of the painting to the other.   I started with a somewhat deep value, placing dots indicating where the twine would go. I gradually brought up the light level in certain places.  I used a dryish brush to denote a few stray fibers that were picking up light.

Lots of success with this painting, including being a finalist in The Artist Magazine Annual Competition.   It is still available!

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