The Subject of Subjects: What I paint?

Many thanks to talented watercolorist, Jan Jensen www.jensenartworks.com for asking how I choose my subjects. Because the selection is often subconscious this question has really made me think.

Sometimes it is the juxtaposition of textures, light play, or the relationship of objects (both in the arrangement and the meaning of their relationship). Many times the meaning of the painting or the reason for the subject selection is only obvious to me after I have been working on painting for a while. Sometimes not until after it is completed. That is part of the process and excitement of painting. Whatever the subject, I always want to keep it interesting enough to hold my interest for the 10, 20 or more hours it takes to paint. My ultimate goal is to create a piece that will hold the interest and enrich the life of a collector for years.

I really love how light plays with color on surfaces. Recently I have been fascinated by how the color on a flower petal or leaf in direct light is muted but rich and intense as light passes through it. One thing that triggers ideas is the lighting created by an overhead spotlight in our kitchen. It makes flowers, fruit and just about anything else you place under it, glow. Getting excited about an object under that light has been the jumping off point for nearly all of my floral and still life paintings.