Tiny Glass Bottles

Fay Terry, CHIVE BLOSSOMS, 6 x 6 " oil on museum quality panel, ©2012
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I don't care to collect things anymore because I think one can live more pleasantly with fewer possessions.

In spite of this theory, we still have way too much "stuff" at our house.

  It is necessary, though, to save some interesting things as painting props, making use of them for still life painting set-ups. I found these little glass bottles in a thrift shop soon after I had taken Carol Marine's workshop and wanted to begin doing a small painting every day.

I have been surprised how challenging, but fun it is to paint glass.  Jars and drinking glasses seem to be the simplest, and shapes like these bottles are more difficult. I find that colored glass is more interesting than clear, but clear glass seldom requires more than just a few brush strokes to indicate where light and color is reflecting onto it from something else. Painting has certainly caused me to look more carefully at things I used to take for granted.

I find myself studying all kinds of things everywhere I go.  I used to keep my thoughts on what I observed to myself but now I boldly share them with my family and occasionally they are glad for me to point out something really cool, like a strange and unusual shadow shape on the ceiling above a chandelier.