Friday, May 15, 2009

Morandi Bottles by PJ


Giorgio Morandi is one of my favourite still-life artists. I love the pared down simplicity of some of his paintings, and the way his work always starts with the intense observation of a carefully arranged selection of objects.
In order to get down to the description of the object's essential form, Morandi used to paint his bottles and pots in a solid colour. This means that the artist is not distracted by labels, and won't get way-laid by the fiddly, transparent effects of glass.
I painted a bunch of bottles myself in different colours, some matt, some gloss, and I have found painting them a terrific exercise in the rendering of light and form.
Here's one of them. The original is only 15 x 20 cms.

1 comment:

  1. Hello PJ,
    Nice work I too have been enamored by his work but for ethereal qualities in the bottles which are essences of some conscious form which he looked at while a painting and setting them up as a still life...the work I am doing is more and more white on white as there are as you know a plethora of whites...this is what makes it so enjoyable for me ...meeeting and making new friends on the palette. Thank you I enjoyed your work...we each have our own nuance in admiring and expressing Morandi's excellence
    Charlie Spear

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