From the Artist: In nature this cactus flower has a tendency to "hang", and that wasn't the way which I liked it. Therefore, I decided to make new arrangement for it. I went out picked up some green leaves, took my favorite martini glass, filled it with the water and leaves, and when I placed on the top the flower it just turn out to sit on the greens like a queen on the throne. I loved it. The only problem which appeared with passing time the leaves started to droop in the water, so I had to work a bit faster (fortunately I took the photo in the beginning of the session).
From the Painting Guide: Having to work fast before a flower wilts is one of the challenges of this project! It's certainly something you don't encounter working from a photo, but does stimulate faster observation and decision making (painting).
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: I like the way the glass goes off the edges, and I think it contributes to the flower dominating the composition. If we'd seen the whole glass it would be another element demanding our attention, whereas now it becomes part of the backdrop to the flower.
The slightly off-center position of the flower and glass also prevent the "fried-egg composition" problem, where everything is symmetrical on the canvas (which can very easily be dull to look at).
The light (white) in the front of the glass creates a foreground that makes an interesting contrast to the dark background. If the foreground had all been dark, it wouldn't be as interesting to look at.
From the Painting Guide: Having to work fast before a flower wilts is one of the challenges of this project! It's certainly something you don't encounter working from a photo, but does stimulate faster observation and decision making (painting).
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: I like the way the glass goes off the edges, and I think it contributes to the flower dominating the composition. If we'd seen the whole glass it would be another element demanding our attention, whereas now it becomes part of the backdrop to the flower.
The slightly off-center position of the flower and glass also prevent the "fried-egg composition" problem, where everything is symmetrical on the canvas (which can very easily be dull to look at).
The light (white) in the front of the glass creates a foreground that makes an interesting contrast to the dark background. If the foreground had all been dark, it wouldn't be as interesting to look at.