Friday, September 25, 2009

Still Life Oil Paintings

My latest work in oils is a series of Still Life oil paintings.








I am attracted to still life because involves putting together an assemblage of household objects, color, and form into a thematic compositional arrangement.

In many of my still life paintings I use a glass of wine as the main character to personify the human spirit. In addition, I  like the reflective qualities of glass and how it distorts shape, color, and light. I am also interested in the interplay of dramatic chiaroscuro (light and shadow) on shapes and objects.

A number of my still-life paintings are concerned with the simple joys of life, leisure, and contemplation.





For example "Wine Glass, Pear, and Pansy"- is concerned with nature and can suggest spiritual growth or ephemeral beauty.





"Liquor Glass and Pair of Dice" is concerned with leisure time.

It suggests the importance of fun and games or the random or not so random (roll of the dice) experiences in one's life.                                                                  

In some of my still-life paintings I also allude to other artists or art forms to touch upon a specific theme.




                                                
For example in "Wine Glass and Michelangelo" I included two images to represent the cycle of Life and Death, represented by an urn inside a temple and Michelangelo's 'Creation' from the Sistine Ceiling.

These still life paintings are meticulously painted with fine haired brushes and take approximately 4 weeks to complete depending on the complexity and detail of the composition. They are painted on wood panel or art board to ensure the works longevity and they range in dimension from 8.5" x 10" to 20" x 16" inches.















1 comment:

  1. Daniel,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the kind comments. They mean so much coming from someone as talented as you. I was looking at your paintings this morning and was really blown away. They are so very rich and you have a great eye for arrangements. How very paitent you must be to paint with oils!

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