The term “still life” describes any inanimate objects in a work of art. Capturing still life subject such as fruit, flowers, bottles, or chairs, has been practiced for millennia. Still life painting allows the artist to practice all fundamentals of art: Color, Composition, Value, Form, Brushwork, and Perspective, while having a subject that doesn’t move!
There are several “painting from life” daily challenges that are held throughout the year by various art groups or companies. These challenges provide an opportunity for artists at every level to practice and challenge themselves in their work. Approaching these challenges with an open mined to subject selection allows artist to participate regardless of weather and location – there is always some subject that can be painted wherever you may be. Many people say that they “can’t draw a stick figure”, but art is like anything else, it takes practice, and these are an excellent way to do so.
Since 2021, I have participated in several of these monthly challenges and have created approximately 240 individual pieces – that’s a lot of practice painting. The paintings created are generally small, typically 8”x10” in oil and they are not intended to be ‘perfect’. They are meant to be studies, and some do “turn out” better (or worse) than others. The idea is to practice the fundamentals and learn. Each one teaches something for the next piece and a lot of pieces are created. In addition to the fundamentals, regular practice provides the opportunity to start developing one’s artistic voice and style.
This show is a selection of my daily challenge pieces over the past three years as well as additional pieces inspired the principle of practice that they encourage.
Stuffed Toys
Stuffed toys are an interesting subject matter. Not only are the sentimental attachments, particularly when selecting either yours or a child’s favourite, but they also allow for the opportunity to practice ways of painting textures of their fuzzy fur assuming they have any left after years of loving). Their sculpted shapes can provide practice for developing gradients to capture shadow and light effectively.
Fruits, Veggies, and Flowers
Fruits, veggies and flowers have long been the subject matter of still life painters. They are one way to bring the outside to the inside. Capturing their textures can prove challenging – the smooth, gloss of a pepper; the layers of onion and garlic peels; and the fuzziness on leaves and stems. Form is developed through the play of light and shadow..
Bottle and Packaged Objects
Glass and crinkled packaging both create challenges for artists. Glass is reflective and transparent, to paint it successfully requires an understanding of the material and how the light is playing on and through it. Crinkled packaging is often messy visually and even more so if thought is not paid to the consistency of the paint and how it is applied.
Kitsch, Overlooked, and Kitchen Items
Everyday items are often overlooked as subject matter, but they are a great resource to challenge painting skills. One can focus on every detail to practice a more realistic approach or work on eliminating as much information and leave it to the viewer to fill in. Even simple things like push pins challenge a painter to get the value correct to ensure that their shapes read as they are in life. Plus, they are small…you have to look closely to ensure you paint what you see, not what you think.
