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OIL ITALY
DEMONSTRATION

Laura Thompson

The Nature of Paintings

From still life to figurative work, Laura Thompson defines the
why and how of her paintings

hen considering the nature of any
Wpainting, I like to imagine the
question in two parts.
–Why do I want to paint this particular subject?
–How will I paint it?
A painting requires a careful balance
of inspiration, enthusiasm, patience and
technical skill. Remove any of these and the
results will often be disappointing.
My best advice is first to have an
attachment to the subject. Do you like
the story? The mystery? The mood? Is it
the presentation of just an everyday object
that could be seen to be beautiful or evoke
a memory? Or sometimes, especially for
the beginner, it is simply the challenge of a
new subject that presents the desire to try a
unique approach for the sake of learning the
application. For example, how could I paint
the “softness of feathers” or the “atmosphere
of a particular light effect”?
Arranging your lighting and composition
in a still life is a particularly exciting part
of the process because you come to know
your subject’s possibilities. It is a time to
“make friends” with your subject and this
familiarity will show in your final work.
Finally, the decision of how to paint it
will arrive. We have many choices. Do Sarah’s Shoes, oil on panel, 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20")
I want to use impasto (thicker areas of paint) My husband’s model Sarah was posing for a sculpture and as she was getting dressed after the session
for the texture or simply represent it I couldn’t resist asking her to hold the pose! The natural light effect from our studio window was
optically? Do I want to use a limited palette especially intriguing and capturing the moment was irresistible.

“Identify what you love before you pick up a pencil or brush.”

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