Stargazing outside.

The life blood of still life paintings are the objects used, but the location you set these elements in is just as important. A surrounding ambiance can often be over looked as unimportant for a still life, but this element can have a dramatic impact on the final painting.

Occasionally I choose to do my compositions outside letting the light and temperatures of the day dictate tone and palettes. This painting was arranged and started on a sunny Californian winters day, the tone and light can be seen across the whole subject, giving it a very unique and unified ambiance, that's quite distinct from many of my 'indoor' paintings.

 Stargazing over pears and oranges
Acrylic on canvas     36X24