Controlling color by mixing

This 5x5 inch oil on canvas, "Red Tomato" is a good example of modern still life. When I lived in San Francisco in the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to see a Wayne Theibold retrospective show. Theibold made the modern still life famous with his use of contracting color and complementary color in reflected highlights along with the impasto or heavy application of paint.

This painting has the blue background laid in with a palette knife. I've controlled the contrast and center of interest by controlling the purity of color. By mixing white and a touch of yellow and violet with the background, the color becomes muted just enough so that the pure shades of red right out of the tube contrast very distinctly with the background.

You will see many food still lifes on the internet and in contemporary shows. This is Theibold's legacy – taking the simple object and placing it in a field of color.

To see more of my work see www.avonwaters.com