Peonies in a Grey Jug
A still life in oil on canvas, painted alla prima in a single sitting in 2021. The subject is a grey jug holding pink peonies, set on a bare table against a grey wall, the whole composition stripped of ornament so that the flowers carry the full weight of the picture.
The alla prima method, in which wet paint is worked into wet without waiting for layers to dry, suits peonies particularly well. Their full, loosely packed heads resist tight rendering and reward a more direct approach, where loaded brushwork can follow the natural movement of the petals. Working in one session also means the light stays consistent throughout, which in a composition this spare matters considerably.
At 13 by 20 inches, the canvas is intimate in scale, a format that keeps the viewer close to the subject rather than at a viewing distance.