Last week I painted purple irises atop leaves from the Japanese Maple out front. I focused on the irises rather than on the leaves in that one. After the irises faded, the lovely tangle of leaves and stems continued to hold my attention. So I painted them – or tried anyway. The leaves are mostly very dark — deep reds and greens, so I wanted a light background, but what color?
I tried one color; nah. I tried another; nah. The next morning, I covered it all up with a creamy yellow/white and didn’t like that either. In frustration, I picked up a rubber wedge tool and scraped off the top layer of background, trying hard not to wipe off the leaves themselves. I was left with all sorts of interesting marks around the leaves. They’re weird but I like them and thought I’d keep ’em. Let me know if you like them or hate them!
#16. Tangle of Japanese Maple Leaves in a Pitcher. Oil on Arches Oil Paper. 10″ x 8″.
The leaves and vase I painted (from life).