On a rainy afternoon at the Helper, Utah workshop, under Doug Braithwaite's suggestion, we all set up in the studio area to create and paint our own still lifes. There were all sorts of props and stimulating articles to choose from, and I decided on this longhorn skull which I attached to a dressmaker's mannequin. Don't ask me why. The dramatic lighting was very interesting and we all soon got busy on our own projects. Of course the time flew by, and I never did finish the piece until last night. I've looked at this painting for several months and really couldn't decide what to do with it. Sometimes you just have to wait, or talk to someone like Dominique Eichi to get the ideas flowing again. Thanks Dominique. Because I didn't photograph the setup at the time, it was from memory that I completed this piece. I must admit, that I was struck by some of the colour/shadow nuances that we don't pick up on when painting from photos. Even the photo I took of the finished painting does not reflect these.
Note to self...DO MORE PAINTINGS FROM LIFE!!!
Another note to self...DO MORE PAINTINGS!!!
"Ninety percent of life is just showing up." Woody Allen"
oil on board 9" x 12"
