Gathered in the Kitchen

Gouache

For this still life, I arranged a selection of fruits and vegetables in my kitchen, including tomatoes and vegetables grown in my own garden. I carefully positioned the objects and set up the lighting to create interesting contrasts between illuminated surfaces and the shadows they cast.

After photographing the arrangement, I worked in gouache, exploring the rich reds of the tomatoes, the vibrant green of the pepper, and the golden yellows of the bananas against the darker surrounding background.

I was particularly interested in the interplay of light and shadow, using changes in value and color to suggest the rounded forms of the produce and establish their relationship to the surface beneath them.