"Green Apples and Lace"

Oil on canvas, 12 x 16 inches, $400

Back in the studio for some still life painting. Actually, I painted this one in the classroom alongside my oil painting students. The biggest challenge for everyone was achieving the look and feel of lace without going overboard on every last detail. The best solution I could come up with was to paint in big shapes first and then selectively add a few smaller darks and highlights where they were needed. The time-tested method of "squinting" helped me see those big shapes and also helped me decide which details to include - and which to leave out.