Pears,Cherries and Chrome Punch Cup - WIP

"Pears, Cherries and Chrome Punch Cup"

5 5/8"x 7 3/4" Oil on linen mounted on board.
$125. + $8 s&h
click on image to enlarge

I've given you some shots of my work-in-progress to give an idea of how this painting developed. I drew the image with paint and brush just to lay out the composition and then began laying in local color in blocks of shapes. As I painted in smaller and smaller shapes I also began adding the subtle color shifts from light sources and reflected light. Painted edges were varied with some being crisp and others being blurred in an attempt to move the eye to areas of interest. The loose stem in the foreground was a final addition to the composition to add interest and visual movement. That stem is an important element because it stops the eye from following the blue stripes down and out of the painting.

My favorite part of this piece is the cloth napkin. I hoped that I could capture the glow of the light striking the area to the right of the pears and behind the cup. I think I was successful and I also like how the pears seem to settle into the fabric. I'm still working on improving backgrounds in my paintings. I had painted a pink wash on the linen hoping to have bits of that color peaking through in the background. I seem to just forget and start right in with thick paint not taking enough care in placement of brushstrokes and placement. Then I have to go back in and just add more and more paint. I'll keep experimenting and working on it. :-)