Purple Cabbage II

Purple Cabbage II

18x24 Oil Painting

The purple cabbage contains beautiful nuances in luminosity that prove to be a real challenge to capture. The cabbage is an everyday object that is always viewed below eyelevel never presented at eyelevel and seen for their amazing colors and depth. As I worked on my thesis I was fascinated to read Looking at the Overlooked- Four Essays on Still Life Painting by Norman Bryson. I learned that there actually is a study on the type of still life painting I do -rhopography. Rhopography is the study of still life painting of insignificant or unimportant objects presented as important. I had been doing this all my life and didn't know there was a name for it! Thanks for viewing my blog. If you are interested in purchasing this painting please contact me. Prints are available at fineartamerica.com  http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/donna+page/all

Curly Kale Hidden Leaf

Curly Kale Hidden Leaf

8x10 Mixed Media 

This study of kale leaves focuses on the tender hidden leaves shaded away from the everyday passerby. I especially liked this choice as it reminded me of the storybook illustrators of the golden age of storybook illustrations. Kay Neilsen, Maxfield Parrish are two of my favorites. One could almost picture a gnome stepping out from the shadows with some special treasure he found on the  forest floor. 

 I composed this painting so the direction of the leaves would control the viewer's eye and draw the viewer  into the vortex of the painting. The light and dark contrasts are also intended to achieve this. Thanks for viewing my blog. If you are interested in purchasing this painting please contact me.

Purple Cabbage

Cabbages were the inspiration for my master's thesis in which I compared the lowly insignificant cabbage as metaphor for the little guy, or things overlooked and unappreciated. The purple cabbage especially has so many wonderful colors and such graceful undulating lines that it inspired a series of paintings. It took me a while to nail down the correct colors and iridescent qualities but I was ultimately pleased with my interpretation. Thank-you for viewing my blog. For purchasing information please contact me.