Sandwich, Sandwich

I have enjoyed getting to practice so many skills

while learning to become a better painter.

For instance:

How can I make an object "read" as shiny?

See how the jelly and the ends of the knife are shiny?

In order to create this "illusion" on canvas with paint

you have to make everything surrounding the highlighted

area darker!

Afternoon Snack- Oil on Canvas

This is my attempt of painting the

photo above.  I keep debating

if I want to go back in and add a few highlights

to the jelly on the sandwich, but half

of me likes the way it looks

like the jelly and peanut butter have smeared

together.  Anyone remember Smucker's Goober?

 I also took creative license

with the photo and removed the glass of milk.

Last week I tried another sandwich!

My husband's BLT!

Wayne's BLT- Oil on Gesso Board

Not only was I trying to create the illusion

of shiny, I was also trying to keep my brush strokes

loose and "painterly"!

Here I decided to removed the deep shadow

from the other half of the sandwich 

in the upper left hand corner, instead opting

to fade out that corner with a highlight.

It is neat just how many decisions 

a painting can take before you complete it!

And as always....

So many things to paint... so little time!