Experimenting is vital for an artist. Without curiosity and a willingness to try new things even at the risk of failing utterly, an artist can never become great.
Last summer I realized that I was not ready to get out and paint outdoors a lot. For whatever reason, I just couldn’t manage it. But what I could do was set up a still life. That way I was at least painting from life.
But of course, it couldn’t be simple. I read up on some ideas and decided to create my own light box… And not just one simple black lightbox, but two… One of which would mimic a window through which I could shine a light, and even hang curtains.
My studio has no natural light.
Using a black trifold project board, a box cutter and some tracing paper, I soon had my window lightbox created. A trip to the grocery store for some fresh flowers, a quick hunt around the house resulting in a couple of hats, a scarf, a vase and a metal pitcher, and the arrangements began.
Eventually I settled on the following arrangement, set up my new lamp (an IKEA find), and began.
The result was this piece, which is still one of my favorites.
Yesterday I was privileged to display it at the Central Texas Pastel Society meeting, where we have a challenge every month–this month it was still life.
