Mother's Pottery #11

Mother's Pottery #11

6x6in oil on canvas panel 85.

This bowl is more organic in its form than how I could possibly paint it.
It is my personal favorite of  my mother's pieces. It is beautifully made
with large, petal like shapes flaring outwards and no matching sides.
The arch shapes are totally contemporary and I find it amazing to realize
she was 81 when she made this piece. It was the last, really arty piece
she made as her vision was deteriorating.
The other ladies in class were speechless when it came out of the kiln,
but her teacher thought it was fabulous, as did I.
It sits on the kitchen counter and holds anything from fruit to flowers
and during the winter months I float flowers and candles in it.

This is the last painting of the series.
Painting it it has been a comforting, emotional experience on a deep level and
I have genuinely appreciated and been touched by the heartwarming
comments from viewers, either on the blog or by email.

Artist Note:

This was difficult to make look correct because it has undulating
free form shapes and is deliberately uneven so I depended upon the
top shape of the water to show its roundness.
The water was deeper than number 4 (with the floating lemon pieces) so it
was easier to do as it became a darker, warmer value.
As this painting is about the bowl, I made the pansies soft and more
muted than they were, but don't you think the colors are lovely
next to the blues?