The Process: Editing As You Go...

I wanted to paint some hanging herbs and flowers, so I purchased what I needed at the grocery store and set up a still life in my studio. I tried various arrangements (about two hours worth) using props, vases, twine and multiple plants.

In the end, I decided to remove nearly everything that was on the table.

I began blocking in. I decided to cut a length of longer twine and wrap it around each bundle of herb and then suspend it across the drape. It was difficult to get the plants back in their proper order with the shadows in the correct place!!!

On the second day, when I arrived at my studio, all the plants were limp. At least I had one day of observing the fresh color and form on each plant. I took color notes from observing the actual still life as well as from photos I took on the first day. I chose to edit out the plants from the bottom, left side of the painting.

Notice how warm the light was on the still life set-up in the background. Eventually I switched out the warm light and replaced it with a more balanced, cooler light source. It presented the colors in a more natural way.

"Enduring Beauty"

26" x 36" oil on panel