Subject Matter in Art

What makes an artist choose a subject and paint it in a particular way? Artists all have their own reasons for how they compose or make subject matter choices in a painting. Sometimes we work on a theme for a while, sometimes we paint what simply catches our eye and other times there are more complex ideas at work.


Gathered Up
5 x 7
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Gathered Up was a simple reaction to the fresh loveliness of these tiny little crab apples that grow next door to my Mother's house. They were arranged simply as they might have been when they fell from the tree.


Reflections on Black and Yellow
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There were more complex ideas behind Reflections on Black and Yellow which is about contrasts of all kinds. The gleaming reflections in the smooth, shiny black cup contrasting with the broken up reflections in the lumpy surface of the dazzling yellow lemon, all on a neutral background. Contrast in all ways, light/dark, bright/dull, colour/neutrals, and shiny/textural.