Protea for Christmas #82

Daily painting #82. 6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas panel

So which flowers will be gracing my table on Christmas Day when the family come for lunch? 

Of course...proteas! Christmas decor with a bit of a South African touch! A bit of rustic meets traditional... Some grass hand woven placemats, glass, crystal, silver balls, rustic candle sticks and some beautiful vibrant proteas to take centre stage! Do you also have fun decorating the table for Christmas? Now that I have planned my Christmas table I need to give some thought to the menu...the only serious consideration I have given to food lately is when I am painting it! Tomorrow I need to find some culinary inspiration ....

Enjoy this simple protea... They really are one of my favorite flowers! I love the fact that yesterday I sat using tiny brushes to build up a fairly realistic image of mince pies. Today, I worked with bigger brushes, enjoying the build up of dollops of wet paint that could be moved around and worked back into. Teaching forces you to be able to move out of your comfort zone and embrace many techniques or else your students will all end up painting like carbon copies of yourself. I try hard to help my students find their own individual style. It has taken me a long while to embrace being able to shift the way I work with my brushes and my paint (depending on my mood) as being something positive rather than a hindrance ....it keeps me on my toes and keeps me experimenting with paint and every painting should be an exploration!

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