Vegetables. I love looking at them, cooking them, eating them, and painting them. And onions - what a lot for the money. I mean, white, red, golden, silvery, green, Spring, scallion, sweet little shallots. Single, grouped in a box, in a bunch - ooh, a plait.. Skin on, or naked, whole or halved. Rings. Battered. Pickled. Eye watering, or sweet. This painting was only the second I did on board (after doing a few paintings on canvas). They caught my eye outside the butcher's shop round the corner - one of those lovely shops with a wide range of colourful fruit and veg on display outside. He does great rhubarb too.. (and sausages)
The thing I liked in this grouping is the little bit of red that had dropped in from the next box. As well as the papery quality of the onions. There is great value in painting a group of objects of the same colours. For me, learning to use oils has been about understanding the way that every colour has a different consistency, some are chalky and Dry, others are oily and transparent. Tsk. Painting a group of the same object allows you to become familiar (ish) with the traits and qualities of a limited number of colours, how they mix with others and, well, how to mix at all, actually.... Practice makes perfect. Hopefully. Or maybe, repetition rams it home?
I was nervous about putting on the hairy end bits, which I added after everything else was done. But then I remembered, I'm only messing about, it doesn't matter if it doesn't work out, so took a very deep breath and put them in. Phew... Hardly at all eye-watering...! I'll be painting this subject again. Soon.
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