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).

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