Another in my Birds & Teacups Series, Violet Tea I is still very much a work in progress…

Quick oil sketch…

Some lovely loose brush strokes suggesting violets…

Sketching in the background…

Filling in here and there…

Wiping off the gestural background that I was afraid was building up too much…

Blocking in some shadows and loosing my loose violets in a pursuit of realism…

Sharpening up details, but there’s such a long way to go in terms of drama (which will come from the lighting) in this piece…..I’ll post more when there’s more to see.

I didn’t know I was going to go for a greenish background! Such a busy image really called out for a simplified palette.

Here is the finished painting, which is now on exhibit at the Los Gatos Museum Gallery.