Party of Five - Watercolour, 13"x17"
I sometimes get asked, "why do you paint cutlery?'" and my answer is simply - "I love it! The concave and convex of spoons, the shadows cast by the tines of a fork, the patterns and floral designs on the handles, the patina and wear seen in old pieces and of course, the shine and the reflections! In a grouping the pieces form interesting negative shapes and fascinating shadows. But the most exciting challenge for me is making them look 'silver'. The bad news: If you're wanting to use 'ordinary' colours on your watercolour palette to mix a silver that is shiny and reflects, you can't. You can't really even use a metallic pigment to cheat your way to the silver look. My feeling is it would still look quite dull and lifeless.
So how does one go about painting a silver object? Mix black and white? Not exactly. Think of what colours you would start with to paint a mirror, because that's pretty much what you are doing. Someone commented on painting a mirror: "I once set up a full length mirror next to my easel to try that. I was beside myself."
The question might be better asked (and thus in the question is the answer), "How do I paint reflections?"
because that is what silver is. Whatever the surrounding environment is, there lies the clue to what will be observed in the object...really...that simple, and yet...that challenging. There is no magic answer in a particular mix of paints because it is always dependent on other elements. It's all about light and reflections. The answer is really to look closely, and paint the shapes and colours you see.
So how does one go about painting a silver object? Mix black and white? Not exactly. Think of what colours you would start with to paint a mirror, because that's pretty much what you are doing. Someone commented on painting a mirror: "I once set up a full length mirror next to my easel to try that. I was beside myself."
The question might be better asked (and thus in the question is the answer), "How do I paint reflections?"
because that is what silver is. Whatever the surrounding environment is, there lies the clue to what will be observed in the object...really...that simple, and yet...that challenging. There is no magic answer in a particular mix of paints because it is always dependent on other elements. It's all about light and reflections. The answer is really to look closely, and paint the shapes and colours you see.
It's best to paint from a photograph too, because the light and reflections will be changing with the time of day, so your object will actually never be quite the same. When you take the photo, take note of the objects in the room like curtains, windows and furniture because all of that will affect the colours in your silver. Even the clothes you are wearing will show up. You can control a lot of these elements to tailor your picture to exactly what you want. Setting up silverware for photographing can be quite a process. For this one I hung the pieces with yarn - tied to a wire cooling rack that was taped to the light above the dining room table!
I'm not alone in this madness. The fascination for painting silverware has existed for centuries and can be seen particularly in many of the 17th century Dutch painters' works. Here is Willem Claesz Heda's "Ham & Silverware" - 1649.
It's like a silver piece has its own moods and expressions, and how it behaves depends on what surrounds it. Interpreting these things is a delight for me, and is an excellent example of finding beauty in simple things!
It's like a silver piece has its own moods and expressions, and how it behaves depends on what surrounds it. Interpreting these things is a delight for me, and is an excellent example of finding beauty in simple things!
Silver Stories - Watercolour, 13"x19"
Besides, I am essentially a homemaker living a simple life in the country, and I am often in the kitchen surrounded by dishes. There should be no wondering. So I think this answers why in the world I paint my flatware, and all that's left to do is to encourage you also to go ahead and play with your spoon!
Cheers,
Cheers,
