STILL LIFE PAINTINGS IN OILS FOR SALE

Many of my still life paintings benefit from serendipity. Often mishaps on my part. The asparagus spear shown below was one of them. I was attempting to make my own mayo to accompany the vegetables when I dropped the egg carton, spilling a sticky mess over the worktop. From somewhere, the idea of a piece of asparagus spearing an egg popped into my head. So far, so good. First, I tried puncturing a hole in the shell with a skewer. More broken eggs. This left only artistic licence. However, I needed a photograph of a yolk dripping down an asparagus tip. Sounds simple, but trying to take a snap before the yolk covers the entire stem and my wife’s hand holding it is a challenge. More mess to clean up and divorce territory!

The lightbulb on a broken beam came from another accident. Rummaging in the loft, I knocked the bulb out of the socket. It fell, hit a beam on the way down and smashed. Another lightbulb (ha!) moment ensued. What if I could reverse the effect of the two objects colliding and create a painting with a surreal element? Viola!

Much of my other still life makes the most of a fascination with reflective surfaces and textures. Many people tell me glass is hard to paint, but it isn’t if you master the technique and approach. For example, I never try and paint every reflection or highlight that is visible. Instead, I edit and move them about to fit the composition. After all, if the glass looks ‘glassy,’ job done!