Welcome to my Art Blog! I paint or draw most weekdays and sometimes finish a painting a day. I fondly call them my "Postcards from Paradise" because it's such a beautiful place the Lord made here for us.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

January Painting Challenge: "Plastic Bag"

I picked this month's subject for our Challenge. I've been wanting to try painting some materials like the plastic produce bag. And it was indeed a challenge. Portraying something which I haven't previously tried painting usually is. The first thing I had to figure out was how to actually arrange a plastic bag to make it interesting in the set-up. I tried a number of bag poses, with various objects inside and settled on this idea.

"Apples From the Store"
Still Life Painting, unframed
Oil on hardboard, 8"x10"
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin
 

It was harder to paint the diaphanous material of the bag than I'd thought it would be. The lack of solid form, the translucency of the sheer plastic at differing depths, the wrinkles and turns were all very interesting and challenging.

I did have fun with this one, however, although it was hard work. And I love what everyone else did.

(left)
"Clearly Decadent"
Oil
9"x9"
 ©2012 Mary Maxam

(below)
"Bluebird of Happiness at the Fruit Market"
grisaille Oil on linen, 5x7" 

©2012 Vicki Ross

(bottom) 

"Spillage" Oil on canvas, 5"x7"
©2012 Suzanne Berry



7 comments:

hmuxo said...

What a challenge!!! I love all of them.!!! You all did beautifully on a difficult piece!! Congratulations!

VickiRossArt said...

Love it, Diana! You started our year off with a bang!

suzanneberry said...

diana, this is just perfect! i can hear the soft crunching of the plastic bag! and the apples peeking through are just wonderful! great choice!

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Thank you, All. I enjoyed this even though it was a hard challenge. I don't feel like I learned enough on this this one, though, so I hope I can do some more!

mary maxam said...

This was a good challenge idea Diana and I really feel you pulled it off most perfectly!

Ruth Andre said...

Lovely painting, Diana. Your painting is so delicate and meets the challenge perfectly.

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Thanks, Mary and Ruth. This was a bit scary, but "hurt good", like working out... haha.