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Still Life with Asian Pear & Blue Jay Feather


4 x 5 in., oil on linen on panel
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This is my first painting in a series of three paintings that are connected by the color blue -- a series that was sparked by a request I got to paint a blue vase. I thought it was perfect timing because in this very moment I'm packing for Italy, where I'll soon be looking at Italian paintings containing ultramarine & lapis lazuli (referred to as "the most expensive blue of all time").

For this painting, I was interested in the ultramarine blue feather in relation to the Asian pear. According to Wikipedia, ultramarine derives from Middle Latin ultramarinus, literally "beyond the sea" because it was imported from Asia by sea. Keep an eye out for the next two "blue" paintings to see what other blue things I love to paint. By the way, the two blue paint colors on my palette are W&N's ultramarine and phthalo blue.

While I'm in Italy, I plan on posting updates about my trip on Facebook. Click here to "like" the page so you will see the updates.

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Here's what this painting would look like framed: