Trenton Reception

This painting, "Strawberries", was one of three of my paintings that were selected by John Salminen to be in the Gibson County Visual Arts Association 2011 exhibit. It was a special treat to meet the juror and to hear his critiques of all the paintings he had selected for awards.

When he spoke about "Strawberries", he pointed out the importance of the background in a still life. He said that a still life is a collection of "stuff" put on paper. The success of presenting the "stuff' is dependent on the background. In the case of the "Strawberries" the pattern of the "cut-work" cloth winds through the still life, unifying the composition. He also pointed out the care given the negative painting in the cloth. Recognition of elements of a painting is very gratifying for an artist. I am grateful for John Salminen's words.

The planning for this still life began with the "cut-work" place mat. I was looking for an interesting cloth for a painting. I found it several years ago in Solvang, a touristy Danish town in California. When I finally decided to use the cloth I selected strawberries as the focal point. The design of the mat uses appliqued fruit, including strawberries. The placement of the glass bowl of strawberries on the mat was carefully planned. The cloth was lifted at one corner to reveal the design. When I was pleased with the set up, I sketched, transferred, and painted. I did not use any resist on the intricate cloth patterns. I did negative painting in the cut out areas. I did use a couple of spots of resist on the glass bowl.