lily

lily (oil on board 25cm x 32cm)

The weather is a bit rough to paint outside at the moment, so it's still the studio for me.  I don't often paint still lives, but it is nice to have a lot of control over lighting, set up and everything else.  To say nothing of being comfortable with a cup of coffee.  I like lily's, not just because they are beautiful (which they are) but also because they have clear, architectonic structure that is very satisfying.  They also, of course,  have symbolic connotations of purity and death which makes them even more interesting as a subject for a still life.  I never know how far to push this kind of painting;  this one has had a couple of sessions, and I could go on refining it forever, but at some point the painting dies if you are not careful.  Just like the flower.