Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Re-use/ Recycle



I found this little creamer at the thrift store--my prop supply store.  I like finding little treasures that someone else no longer wants.  I wander up and down the aisles looking not for function, but for form.   I loved the form of this wide-mouthed little creamer.   I think it has lots more use in it as a prop.

I have been meaning to paint it since before Christmas but somehow it kept getting moved to the end of the line.  I didn't know what else to pair up with it.  Today I decided to put it on a linen napkin, and a lemon from the fridge seemed to fit with it nicely.

Today I was playing around with color.  One of my prior art teachers would be incensed--"there's no purple in that shadow!"  I know, but I like it like that.

I painted this on a recycled panel.  I do that a lot.  Since I'm getting a lot  of practice paintings lying around, I've been dividing them into "keepers" and ugh.   At the end of the day, I use the leftover paint on my palette to cover the uglies, put them in the garage to dry, and reuse the panel.

Lots of them are from when I first started to paint.  Not always.   But lately I have been keeping more of them than I did in the beginning.  It's funny too that as I gain more experience, paintings that I thought were pretty good get moved out of the "keepers" pile.

8 comments:

  1. On évolue doucement, tranquillement et en bien... L'expérience et une certaine maturité artistique s'affirment à force de travail.
    Bravo pour cette dernière peinture. Et comme vous le dîtes peu importe si c'est bon ou pas en ce qui concerne la couleur pourpre. Je pense qu'il faut laisser aller son ressenti... aucune règle doit être imposée.
    Bisous

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  2. OOOOO I love the little creamer and the color is so minty! I really like how you handled the fabric as well...I have such a time with folds and you make it look so easy.

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  3. Thank you for posting such a useful, impressive and a wicked article./Wow.. looking good!
    oil Painting

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  4. Wonderful job Virginia!! I think it's great that you are evolving and getting better and better. I too have been visiting thrift stores for still life props. I'm a little worried that if I keep it up I could end up on Hoarders, LOL. I think I'm going to limit myself to 2 shelves and then I have to make serious decisions.

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  5. Nice composition, I like the little pitcher. I know what you mean about all those early paintings, I really need to purge! It's nice to see the improvements, isn't it?

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  6. I like your new pitcher, and you painted it with very nice reflections. Pearly.
    I like painting right over the old paintings, without a coat in between. Sometimes the old one shows through a bit for an interesting structure. Might be a bit more difficult 'til I get it covered, but I like the results.
    And I agree with purple in the shadows.

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  7. Virginia, Love this pitcher and the folds are wonderful. Love the glossy pearly effect!
    I appreciate your sharing your recycle/reuse information. I also have a lot to paint over and usually scrap and toss some gray paint along the way...now, I can use that paint up and also use the panels again. So simple and so smart! Thanks:)

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