August Oval Bowl 8″ x 10″ Oil on canvas – $475
August Oval Bowl was inspired by simplicity and not knowing what subject to move into next or what felt like an area to explore, so in the absence of that, the bowls remain.
This oval celadon green bowl was in my garage, the plant in it long past. The oval shape did speak to me, as did its earthenware character. Delicate tiny feet on the bottom added something special. As I’m writing, it reminds me of a bonsai plant and holder my ex-husband gave me many decades ago. It had a similarly shaped container and was the first bonsai I ever had.
As I’ve been peeling away things from some of my still life setups and working with more simplicity, keeping this arrangement on the minimalist side felt right. However, a tug for some patterning remained, so I dug around in my drawer of fabric swatches, grabbing one with an abstracted motif. It felt like it might be a challenge to interpret, but I think I needed that to be part of this.
In working through the painting, adding white over some of the darker line work in the floral print was new. Shaping the bowl took some revisits, and crafting the surface to mimic some of the actual glazing also presented a new way for me to experiment with color. In this case, a broad range of turquoise and indigo blues—some of my favorites on the spectrum. I used vertical brush strokes, letting the paint lead the way.
Imagination definitely came in as I exaggerated the hints of orange and yellow in the background. The shadows on the table also began to surface more as objects to be observed rather than simply as reflections of light.
Getting to this painting took some time. Lately I’ve been involved in other aspects of my art, and it’s left me feeling a bit unmotivated. I benefit from the discipline of painting, so the pathway to this piece came through that practice and experimenting with acrylics on paper. Not painting bowls, but looking at the things around me and connecting with the beauty in everyday objects, as well as returning to my oil paints.
If this story or painting speaks to you in any way, please leave a comment below—I would love to hear your thoughts.
Categories: Interiors, New Paintings, Original oil paintings, Still Life
