Close Encounter by Usha Shantharam

Photo © Usha Shantharam

"Close Encounter" by Usha Shantharam. 10.5x7.5" (26x19cm). Acrylic on canvas.

From the Artist: This project sounded simple enough at first. But I found it very interesting because it says 'a portrait of an individual flower'. This has made me to look up many flowers closely, and then I decided on this small flower. I don't know the botanical name of this flower, but it is very common where I live, and is called a genneri. We usually use it to weave into strands.

The sunlight was so bright I decided to use it. I placed a single flower on white stretched canvas and noticed the colorful shadows it created, and was happy about it. I used my glasses throughout my painting to see the details of the flower.

Painting it from still life has added to the excitement of the project. The photo was taken standing up, whereas, I painted it sitting on a chair close to the flower, to see it up close while painting. Hence the difference in view angles.

From the Painting Guide: When I created the project, this is the sort of painting I had in mind (though of course it's not the only way to interpret the instructions). A single bloom taking center stage, with its shape and color dominating the composition and the background supporting its dominance and beauty. I think this is a glorious painting, and one that makes the most of the medium of paint.

Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Background: Look at how the color of the background enhances the pink-reds of the flower. How there's "nothing" happening in the background but it's not dull. The variation in tone and color create a sense of texture, of a surface the flower is sitting on.

Shadow: If ever you wanted to see why only ever using black for shadows doesn't make the most of a shadow, then I think this painting does it with its touches of pink and darker purples. There's no doubt that it is a shadow, but it's a shadow with visual intrigue (in both color and mark making) that demands a closer look.