Green Pears in Silver Bowl

"You've got to go out on a limb sometimes, because that's where the fruit is." - Will Rogers, American Humorist

Green Pears in Silver Bowl   Click here to purchase - $150

An original oil painting created by using only a palette knife by Joan Terrell

12" x 12" x 3/4" deep. 

Painted on museum-quality panel. Sides painted black. Unframed.

Ready to hang or place on a display easel.

Here's the start. You can see some of the sketch and a beginning of the subject. I'm painting the subject first because later, when the background is painted wet-into-wet, the subject won't look as if it was cut out and glued onto the background. You can see the plan for the shadow on the wall, the tabletop horizon line and silver bowl handles. It was hard not to obsess on those ornate handles. 

What is it about pears and artists? I don't know why they are such a popular subject. Maybe it's because they're not round. 

Maybe it's because pears take on the personality (or shape) of the artist. Adding highlights to a stem here.

Reflections are fun to paint, whether reflections of sailboats in the water or of shiny objects. This is what I call a secondary reflection. It's where the inside of the shiny bowl is saying "backatcha" to the pear's bottom. I love the interplay of light and shadow and how reflections bounce around.

Maybe it's because pears are delicious after you're through painting them. Shocking.