When I’m percolating an idea for a new still life I sometimes look through my box of magazine rippings and postcards etc. I do it quite quickly and try not to think too much about selecting certain things. Then I pin it all up and see if there is a theme speaking to me.
And so it was with this painting that came about after finding these four images. Three are from Country Living magazine and the painting is by somebody Lancaster/ Manchester (so sorry not to be able to credit it properly).
One thing that emerged was a new perspective. I usually paint face-on to the set up but this time I tried a new angle and looked down to the set up on the floor.
I was also trying to break a recent pattern of painting either something pink, or flowers or sometimes pink flowers. Nothing wrong with pink (it is my favourite colour) but I was looking to present a range of work to the gallery.
So after some cupboard delving and some mixing and matching I came up with this, a lot of which is down to Anthropologie and Kaffe Fassett. I keep those cupcakes in the freezer with a big label on Don’t Eat!” So if you’ve seen me paint them before you will understand how they keep cropping up again and again.
- © Claire Leggett “Tea Table” June 2011
In the end I really like the strong diagonal composition and will definitely try painting by looking down on the subject matter again. And the cupcakes are back in the freezer ready for next time.
Sunday was the opening of the Summer show at the Purple Gallery where Tea Table, Summer Strawberries and Blossom are now all for sale.
