Hiking in Crawford County, 30 x 30, oil on canvas, Kit Miracle
Last year I decided to participate in a challenge art competition. This was a local county exhibit with the county plus the eight surrounding counties. The requirements were: a box, fabric, a living or formerly living thing, a map and something representing my county.
This is the painting I finally came up with. The box is the L.L.Bean shoe box. Fabric background and tablecloth. A deer skull and some bittersweet. A map of a local park. And some postcards of local scenes. It sounds simple but it actually took me an entire day to set up the still life.
Many of the entrants created collage or 3-D sculptures. Only two of us did paintings. I was shooting for something that met the conditions of the challenge and also created a good painting. Adding the lamp to the still life created its own special challenges as I had to paint much of the painting in a nearly dark studio. I repainted that lamp four times and I’m still not totally happy with it but the judge really liked the way it seemed to glow on the canvas. I won second place so I guess it was a success. What do you think?
I'm a professional artist, retired director of a performing arts center, bona fide book addict, and enjoy the quiet life...most of the time. I'd love to hear from you or get your ideas for future posts. Come back soon!
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