"Still Life with Grapes" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Still Life with Grapes" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

This painting is a bit of a departure for me.  I don't typically like to set up and arrange a still life.  I prefer to stumble upon something that catches my eye.  In any case, I really wanted to paint grapes so I bought a bunch at the market and then went about the task of trying to come up with a pleasing composition.  I added the jug as a compositional element for some height and additional interest.  The jug had a flower pattern on it but I liked the simplicity of keeping the jug one solid color.  I also like the color scheme of 2 basic colors - the red grapes with everything else as a version of white.  Purchase information is at the end of this post.

For those interested in my painting process, I included a photo (see below) of the start of this painting.  I began with a simple line drawing of the basic elements.  Then, using acrylic paint, I created an underpainting to map out the color scheme.  You can see a warm, brown tone in the back ground in contrast with the cool, blue tone in the front of the table at the bottom (which makes it appear as if it is in shadow).  Even though I covered most of the acrylic paint, I still allow some to shine through and to influence the final painting.  For example, to make the grapes as translucent as possible, I carefully added color in thin layers and didn't completely cover the acrylic base.

In other news, I'm co-hosting my final "Artists Helping Artists" radio show this week.  We're broadcasting early, Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. E.S.T. since my co-host, Leslie Saeta, is traveling.  This week's topic is "Talking the Talk … How to Talk about Your Art and Make the Sale.”  To listen to this show, or, any previous shows, you can click here.

"Still Life with Grapes" is an 8 inch square painting and is available for $150.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card/Paypal or here for other payment options.