Carnal Still-Life
In undergraduate school I found myself having a hard time when staying interested in still-life painting. Drawing static, unchanging, often mundane objects I found then over-done over the years and not an extension of my expression. Flowers, skulls, and hands can explore themes of death and temporary existence (all of which I have studied in the past), but they lacked a luster that kept me engaged and felt original.
Only when working in a whole animal butcher shop, have I been driven to do more still-lifes. Painting these muscles and forms of hog feet has brought more gratification than any previous painting, and the color palette felt so natural and rewarding. Something about capturing the vitality in flesh before it decays, seems so much more invigorating.
Natural Light in Color
These trotters were placed on butcher paper under indirect and natural light from the early morning windows. The cool flesh tones and shadows allow the painting to appear calm and at rest, while warm highlights on the tips of the toes and edges bring a lively warmth that balances the painting.
Mostly composed of grays, it's a playful variance of similar hues that makes the surfaces interesting and worth looking at up close. When viewed further away, the hues blend to make appropriate forms that are recognizable.
Trotters in Natural Light, 2018. (Oil on Canvas, 24"x 18".)