Ingredients #3, 24"x24". Oil on Canvas
I don't think I've given much time in my blog to taking a long hard look at a still life, so maybe its about time. And whose work better to look at than Daniele Lemieux's.
The centre bottle stands proudly upright with its top the peak of an equalateral triangle. The bottle looks down on all its subjects, right down to the lowly garlic cloves which are spread along the bottom of the composition.
I am attracted to the painting's musty, earthiness, which spreads from the rich background into the soft hues of the bottles. The red wax seal and the wire cork attachment over the bottle of oil give it an ancient, European look.
Look at the bottle on the left. You can almost see into its depths at the top but at the bottom, the surface is hard and reflective. Interesting huh? This is making art serve your purpose.
The triangular shape is suggested here and there throughout the work, right down to the folds of the tablecloth.
When all is said and done, what takes my breath away is Daniele's masterful working of soft hues, not to mention, the power which she makes of the contrasting darks to bring her rich colours to life.
Pretty dramatic work, all in all.
Artist's Comment:Tuesday, 14 September, 2010
I had been working on this composition, on and off, for two weeks before finally putting paint to canvas. I spent the first day roughing in the large shapes and the next rendering a glass jar filled with fresh tarragon sprigs. This latter part of the composition would be the first to fade, so I wanted to bring it to almost a completed stage before moving onto to the bottles. By the end of the day I realized that no matter how nicely painted, the jar and feathery herb shapes of the tarragon did not belong in this composition and, after about 8 hours of work, I rubbed it out, replacing it with the red bowl. As an experienced painter I felt I should have seen this compositional error sooner, but mistakes are often part of the process.
The next day back in the studio with fresh eyes, I realized I had truly made the right decision—the red bowl was an infinitely better fit. The end result is a solid piece, much stronger than it would have been had I stuck with my original composition.
Readers are invited to visit Daniele's website by clicking here.
