For the past few months, whenever I was painting on my iPad, I sort of ended up painting fantasy landscapes. Often mountains or hills, and sometimes seascapes as well. I selected a colour, started painting intuitively, and let the subject develop as I paint.
But then one day I created something else. Again, just from the top of my head, not based on a reference, but still inspired by a style that I had seen before on Instagram, for example, by @lilian.bisschop and @goldfinchelson. They both create beautiful still lifes that draw you in.
A still life is staged, of course, so the person creating it is usually very precise about every single little detail. What should be in there, and where exactly, how the colours will play together, and what kind of lighting should be used. It’s an art that is quite old already. Just look at all the still life paintings in museums.
I enjoyed painting these still lifes. The additional focus and, I don’t know, compactness that is created by being so deliberate about details is quite satisfying. I didn’t paint “real” flowers, though, just an impression of white flowers that remind me a bit of tulips. I liked playing with the light and using more subtle colours than usual. I might start painting still lifes more often.
