Gourdita with Sprout

$100 [+shipping] : Oil on panel : 8 x 8 inches :

This little painting is one of my recent favorites and I have been dying to share it.  It is of a dried and hollowed gourd which I filled with dirt and planted a little plant in.  Its been such a joyful little thing to have around the studio.   It reminds me of how nature can take root anywhere like when you see plants growing between sidewalk cracks. As for the painting itself it was one that was part of the Shrine series but I had given up on it after we moved the shrine to another room.  It was mostly finished but clearly lacked something and was staring at me in the studio for a few weeks, even being lined up to be painted over at one point.  It survived though and it dawned on me that maybe I should give a go at finishing it from a photo (something I try to avoid if possible).  So I dug through my photo files and found one where I could see the setup from a distance.  I zoomed the photo and found that the graininess of the zoomed image actually helped me to paint it as it was less specific and static then if I had a nice sharp image to work from (meaning I was forced to focus on the feel of the object rather than the details).  The painting turned out to be on par with my love for the little gourd plant itself and I love looking at it in the studio. Be well ............................................................................................................................................ Want to see more paintings plus free exclusive articles and updates? Subscribe to my newsletter The Monthly ENSO, find out more here. ............................................................................................................................................