Peonies, Lilacs and Limes

Peonies, Lilacs and Limes
18" x 24"
Oil on canvas 

I filled my favorite bowl with the last peonies of the season and the first of the hedge lilacs in my neighborhood. The fragrance was heady while I shot my reference photos. When I finished I sliced a lime to squeeze into a glass of seltzer.  One of the key limes rolled into my setup, so I shot one last photo.

The composition of this painting is daring.  It's an inverted triangle, to begin with. There are soft balls, hard balls, pink balls, green balls, crystal balls, ruffled petals and rumpled cloth. And it's painted in my favorite set of complements, red and green.  It's also cropped just like this—equidistant from every edge.  Formal in its presentation, yet casual and inviting.

Thank you for visiting,
Carol