Two’s Company…

Original oil painting on wood panel.

Painting dimensions: 30 cm x 30 cm

Framed dimensions: 37 cm x 37 cm x 3 cm

Rather than paint traditional still-life, I like to select items from my collection and sketch them beforehand individually, rather than plan a composition. Then I allow the final positioning to emerge through the painting process, selecting shapes and colours intuitively until I arrive at a satisfying composition. The pale blue jug in the top left corner of this painting is a favourite from my childhood. It is a 1950’s Hebridean stoneware design made by the Buchan Pottery (now closed) in Portobello, Edinburgh.

This painting is framed with a simple grey float frame (see additional images). The 20 mm gap between the frame and the inner edge of the artwork panel creates a shadow and gives the illusion that the artwork is ‘floating’ within the frame. This enhances the overall effect, as it creates a sense of depth and draws the viewer’s eye to the artwork.