Day 70: Pepper, Fennel and Garlic in Oil
Sometimes I have a debate with myself about the importance of subject matter in painting. Can a single object painted well be more beautiful or somehow meaningful than a poorly painted landscape? Definitely. But what is it that I want to paint? Is there any meaning in painting single objects or does it really matter? Is the point just the exercise of painting, of gaining a deeper understanding of color, value, composition and different ways of putting it all together or should there be a feeling or something that I want to communicate each time? At some point am I going to need to chose a subject matter and stick to it?
These were the questions I was asking myself while painting this bottle today. I chose it for it’s simple yet complex nature. Although it’s just a single object it has a lot going on with the various colored objects, reflections and then light and shadow. I thought it was the perfect thing to paint today but it didn’t have any meaning to me personally, I just wanted to give myself a new and different challenge.
Painting this bottle reminded me of when I formally studied still life painting. At the time it was a bit like going to the dentist: I knew it was for the best, but it was a little painful in the tediousness of the whole thing. I could spend weeks painting a still life or a bottle like this filled with all kinds of nuances. The more I looked at this bottle today, the more I saw and the wetter the paint got. I saw then that I had to choose the important things to emphasize if this were to be just a one shot painting.
I have to say, the more I paint the more there seems to be to learn about painting. I don’t think it’s something one ever feels done with. I guess time will tell. In the meantime I guess the important thing is to be fully engaged and along for the ride!
To buy today’s painting, click here. To view or buy other paintings from the 100 day project, click here. All paintings cost $100 (+ $15 shipping), are 6×8”, painted on birch and are unframed. You can buy one directly from the website using paypal or by contacting me at kellyaskey@gmail.com.
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Thank you for your interest in my project and you willingness to come along for the ride, it really has been quite a ride thus far!