Enjoying everyday plenty

For the past couple of years I've
been combining still life and
portrait paintings, sometimes
linking them. The first of these
paintings is shown here. It
depicts our kitchen table in full
summer dress confusion. True
the pansies had to be propped
on a book. But the book was
there because my son was
in a baking phase, making
Reagan Daley's scrumptious
chocolate cake from scratch.
I just changed the colour.

The sugar bowl is the antique
kind I've collected for years,
bigger than the coffee cups.


We grow nasturtiums and
pansies every year, and we
always have fruit in the footed
glass bowls.

When students are trying to figure out what to write
about I tell them the old rule of starting with what's
right in front of you. Sometimes when it's time to
paint I have no idea where to begin. Then I lean
on my own advice and paint the bounty I live in
every day. In all my work I'm trying to capture
the joy I feel matters in life -- I wish joy could
be the core of life for everyone.

I'm including a photo of one of the bouquets
cheering up the kitchen today.

Have a thankful day.