green pitcher

20x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas $600

I love painting large, to some artist 20×24 would not be large, 60×72 would be large. I would like to tackle a canvas that size but so far I haven’t been inspired enough by a subject that shouts BIG! It will happen though. The last time I visited my parents house I was captivated by this green pitcher perched high above my Mom’s kitchen cabinets. I saw the color as a mixture of my two favorite colors, viridian and yellow ochre. (Did you know  in Latin, a garden is called a viridarium ) I also knew the raised design would be fun to paint with a light source directed towards it. I had a hard time deciding what to do with the background. I tend to paint a drape or objects in at least 80% of the background so I don’t have to decide. I wasn’t sure if all white would be too much white. I went for it and I am happy with the end results. The wooden rooster and green pitcher really stand out as the important player in this painting. Lately I have been painting a lot of green and red together, good strong colors.