Stilllife with Piranha

Still life paintings often wind up being a bit of an autobiography of the painter. 

Things in my studio that I had collected over the years because they had some emotional resonance or aesthetic appeal were set atop textiles that we have collected (I associate hand woven textiles with prayers because of the long hours of focused attention it takes to make one) with some fruit added for color and all that it symbolizes in Scripture. 

The composition is done in large part in advance by setting the still life up, finding a balance of color, shapes and sizes. Then the actual act of painting is easier, allowing the artist, and hopefully the viewer, to meditate on the meanings derived from a relationship of painted forms.