Looking through my digital photographs last night, I could not settle on something to paint. I wanted to do something simple and fast because I was starting late, and the images that were appealing to me were detailed, more appropriate for larger canvases. So I decided to grab something from the kitchen, to try painting a still-life arrangement from life.

The longer I painted, the more I saw to paint. The thing about realism is that it is seductive. I did not plan on doing a realistic painting, but it is such a thrill to add a highlight or a shadow and see the image in front of you appear to have volume, it’s like a magic trick. And the longer you look, and paint, the more realistic the painting becomes.

I will have to make a conscious effort to avoid this tendency if I want to do more semi-abstract art. Some artists put away the paintbrushes to achieve this … working with a palette knife, or another medium.

You’ll just have to wait to see what happens next. I am really liking the idea of working in multiples of 3’s for the rest of the challenge. So, I could do 2 more tomato paintings.