Diary of a Painting Opus IV

After completing two smaller pieces in the Dolce Vita series, which were inspired by my recent research into BC's Okanagan Valley, I felt ready to tackle a larger, more involved piece.

ONE

I used lots of different textures in this painting and was especially pleased to find a pomegranate at this time of year.


TWO

Again, because of the perishable nature of the cheese and fruit, particularly under hot spotlights, I had to work quickly. Concentrating on the foreground fruit and cheese I tried to get down as much information as possible.
  
  
THREE

To extend the life of my props, each night I wrapped the individual pieces and refrigerated everything, rebuilding my set each morning.
  
  
FOUR

Here I start to work out the glasses as well as adding as much detail to the foreground as the still wet paint permits. Working in the white tablecloth I allow some of the colours of the fruits to bleed down. Though I continue to rebuild my set each day, I am now working more from my visual memory for the fruits and cheeses bringing these items as close to completion as possible.
 
  
FIVE

Working in the background defines my edges and helps with the depth of the composition. Some edges are soft, such as the large piece of pomegranate, while others, like the cheeses, are hard.
  
  
SIX

Final days are spent working both the foreground cloth and the background as well as incorporating the reflection of the table in the wine glasses. I re-enforce my highlights and exaggerate some of the brightest reds to give some added punch to the finished piece.