"Coy Garlic," 6x8, oil on canvas board

UPDATE (from what follows this image): Well, this is the new and improved garlic.


Check it out vs. the image that follows. I swear, it's not quite as true to what was there, but I do think it's less confusing. The composition and overall feel of the piece aren't affected, so all is well.

(Original post.) I like how this came out, but this is not the final version of this painting! See the dark line around the garlic behind the bottle? I showed this to my husband and he said it looked like there was a hole in the garlic, so I lightened it. I keep hearing (or reading) that you should stick with what life shows you, but, boy, in this case it didn't work. Maybe it means I set it up wrong. Either way, I'll post the update tomorrow, after I get a good shot of it using sunlight.

I think this bottle has a lot to teach me about really seeing. Glass that's both contorted and tinted makes colors and shapes tough to figure out. Compositionally it's the classic setup where there's a tiny object off to one side that provides balance. I placed the bit of garlic skin so it sat in the line created by the top of the garlic and the top of the shadow of the garlic. Triangular composition, FWIW.

Looking at it now, the garlic looks kind of coy, or like it's hiding behind the bottle. I wanted to name it something like, "Hey, Get Back Here!" or "Coy Garlic." But that would be silly, wouldn't it?