Still life painting offers me the opportunity to arrange a variety of textures and colors in a controlled environment with spot lighting. I use either flowers or fruit to introduce a sense of life in and among the vases, drapery, and other inanimate items. Occasionally a butterfly will find it's way into the painting along with strategically located dewdrops.

I paint a still life using the sight-size method: setting up the canvas on an easel that is placed adjacent to the still life setup. I walk back about eight feet to view the arrangement. I focus on the various lines and shapes of the still life and then walk back to the canvas to map out the painting. Then I return to the spot eight feet away and view the accuracy of the drawing and painting in progress. It is from this spot where I verify the drawing, values, shapes, and colors.