Monday, March 22, 2010

"Red & Green"


Does it take anyone else almost forever to set up a still life? So how many ways can one rearrange radishes? This little arrangement took me most of a morning to create and then I had to run out and buy more radishes because the leaves wilted. As you can see I'm having fun playing around with what is a different aesthetics for me; using a lot of white clothes and cropping.

This 8"x8" was painted in oils with a palette knife. $149.

14 comments:

Kathleen Krucoff said...

Well worth your time & effort Susan. This is just lovely.

Pam Holnback said...

I had to laugh about your wilting leaves! I don't know what it is in radish leaves that causes them to wilt. You have to be a fast painter and really fast at set-up! Nevertheless, great job!

Deborah Younglao, Silk Painter said...

I like the light background - very fresh-looking.

Karen said...

I love the new cropping experiments!!
And yes, setting up still lifes can stress me out!

Janelle Goodwin said...

The composition is awesome, Susan. I love the opening of the jar and the way the leaves frame the piece!

Honor Bradley said...

Very nice! I also agonize about setting up a still life. I have to remember two quotes posted over my computer, " It may have been done before BUT not by me." and "something worth doing is worth doing differently." Wish I could give credit for the quote but can't remember.

SamArtDog said...

Very clever setup with the innies and outies!

susan hong-sammons said...

thank you Kathleen, Pam, Deborah,Karen, Janelle,Honor, and Sam. I feel so encouraged and energized to keep going with, what is for me, radical compositions. Happy Painting to you all!!!!

Joan Breckwoldt said...

Hi Susan, These two still lifes are wonderful. It's funny to read that you don't usually crop your still lifes, I'm a big cropper. I find it hard not to crop in close in fact. I suppose there are reasons to crop and reasons not to crop. :)
And your head study is lovely too.
Thank you for sharing your paintings and your thoughts,
Joan

Diane Hoeptner said...

You are not the only one! It takes me forEVER to get set stuff up.... But I just love this wonderful composition. My eye wanders around those greens again and again. Lovely edges. Beautful.

susan hong-sammons said...

Hi Joan, Can you believe I was actually taught that cropping is a "no-no" But I keep seeing these amazing paintings that I feel successfully crop so I had to try. Thanks for the feedback!

Hey Diane - sometimes I really want to paint a still life but it'll be days before I see the right design. This is what's going on with me in my studio right now. The only plus is that I discovered that veggies with leaves left inside the mason jar do not wilt, I mean the leaves don't wilt. Happy Painting

Nancy B. Hartley said...

Susan, What gorgeous radishes! I have attempted to paint them myself, they are difficult You did a super job!!

susan hong-sammons said...

hey Nancy, you paintings were also some pieces that helped me over my hurdle of cropping.

Jala Pfaff said...

Very very nice!

(Don't you hate it when your still life wilts?)