Boots-sold

Oil on panel, 6" x 6"

I lost interest in painting for a good part of the last year, but have been getting back into it lately. When I heard about a master class that George Nick was offering, I decided to sign up for it, because so much of what I have been painting just felt so uninspired. 

The first assignment was a 16 x 20 still life in no more than 6 shades of black and white. So I decided to paint my husband's hiking boots.

The thing about using such a limited value scheme is that it forces you to simplify and, in the process, to eliminate edges and other unimportant details. I'd never painted such a big value study before, and I found it liberating. I would recommend it as an exercise to anyone. It forced me to simplify the shadow areas and let them blend into the background.

Boots, 16" x 20" oil on canvas

The photo heightened the contrast in the background of this painting, in reality it's a little flatter and less brushy looking.
After I painted the big black and white, I painted the 6x6 in color, letting any detail in the shadows remain indistinct, and detailing only the light areas.