Painting still life and David Poxen

I used to think that a still life was limited to a table setting with a grouping of items as the focal point. In these cases, artists spend time setting-up the items, the lighting to create a mood they want to convey. Although I've seen some beautiful still lives, most of these don't look like natural to me and hence I have never been drawn to them.

Only recently did I also associate still life to other things than the "traditional" still life. This opens up a whole world of possibilities and interesting subjects.

Today, Diana-B (from ArtTutor) mentioned David Poxon to me, as I have been painting old rusted tools. I had never heard of him and looked him up online. What a pleasant surprise that was. I am grateful that Diana mentioned him to me.

David is a British watercolour artist who paints old items using traditional multi glazing techniques. His paintings are photo realist.

Although he lives in the countryside, he regularly visits old Industrial sites and Farmyards where there is an integrity and honesty in the daily struggle of working men and their machines. As nature reclaims these man made items for itself it creates its own beauty that could not be constructed other than through the passage of time.

I encourage you to visit his web site. I've also subscribed to his Facebook page. I couldn't choose one photo, therefore, here is a small collage.

Still lives like these are so so beautiful in my eyes. They are so real.

Have a great week,
Danielle