Pewter Mug with Grapes {a new small painting} SOLD

Still Life with Pewter Mug and Grapes

{5" x 7" (12.7 x 17.8 cm) – oil on linen panel}

SOLD

This painting and most other still-life paintings are completed from life using natural light. Over the past several years, I have shifted from using directional lighting on my setups to relying on natural light from north easterly windows in my studio.

Even though it is more of a challenge painting without a strong directional light, because they give strong shadows and contrast, I have found I enjoy the quality of color, the diffused soft edges, and nuanced changes between the light and shadow more.

This painting is an excellent example of why I prefer to paint from natural light. The soft blues and warm shadows in the pewter cup, and the variety of color found in the grapes. If I had used a directional light, a lot of the color shifts found in the grapes would have been blown out by a strong light, thus changing to overall feeling and affect of the composition.

Thanks for stopping by and reading,

Liz

PS. do you see the mini-self portrait in the cup?