Monday, February 28, 2011

Odd One

                                                               
"Odd One"
8"x10" oil on canvas
Still Life Study

We've all felt it. Standing just apart from a beautiful crowd, admiring the luster and richness of others who seem just out of reach, not quite fitting in yet wanting to find our place amongst them. Odd One.

I attended an open studio with the Artists Association of Northern Colorado last week. It was my first attempt to paint a still life in oil, just like the masters of old. There was such a large table full of country kitchen items set up for the still life study, it was nearly overwhelming. I pared it down to just the fruit in the pot, and a lone onion sitting off to the right. Mostly, I was thinking that it would be an easy study, something I could get done in just 2 hours time, as my parking was for only 2 hours and the Parking Nazis will ticket you for going over even just 5 minutes.  So needless to say, I flew through the painting.

That being said, I spent most of my time working up the apples, oranges, and pottery. The colors and the reflections were gorgeous. I blocked in the onion, and spent a few minutes getting the idea of it's shape on color down, but never really put alot of detail or effort into it.  I figured it didn't really matter anyway, because this was only supposed to be a quick study, and exercise in training the eye. I didn't count on it meaning anything. Until I got home with it, anyway.

Once I placed the little study up on my mantle, taking some time to critique my work, it hit me. I felt very sad all at once! Here was a beautiful grouping of fruit; how the colors blazed, how the textures were rich and how they radiated from the canvas.  Then just to the right, sits the onion, just out of reach from the group.  It sits, unfinished, dull, and awkward. Yet somehow wanting more than anything to fit in, and complete the picture. Ironically, it does. Without the onion, this would have been just another boring still life, but now, there's a story to it. It's a balanced piece, and makes a statement beyond words.

Perhaps the onion is not so odd after all. 


1 comment:

  1. I have yet to see this piece in person, but it looks great on your blog!

    Sincerely,

    A Fellow Onion

    ReplyDelete