Back in February I had a weekend in Brighton which came just after reading about how Mary Fedden carries a sketch book everywhere collecting drawings of scenes that she uses for backdrops in her still life painting.
Then I alluded to having a new idea on the go following a moment of post Brighton inspiration. Honestly though I began, it didn’t go well the first few times and I left it and got distracted by other things. Today though, I gave it another shot.
I’m trying to develop my still life painting by incorporating landscape backgrounds (although I still love my highly patterned backdrops!) It didn’t go well before because I was struggling to paint it in scale and situ to the real life objects. So I’ve mulled it over and decided to try to use a photocopied photo, enlarged, to pin-up as the backdrop. And that has made things much more possible to my unimaginative brain!
I wanted to give the painting a whole tea time theme and was cross this morning that I’d not thought it through far enough to have made fairy cakes or even got to the shops for a jolly piece of Battenberg! Then I remembered these wax, fruit tart candles that I bought in the Laura Ashley sale to give as a present, and could never quite part with!! Perfect for this and much more – so sorry folks – no will ever get gifted them now!
It’s been a good day of drawing and I’ve been grateful for some creative sanity and quiet after yet another frazzling week at work. Hope you’ve all had a good week so far. Off to add some colour washes now 🙂
