Nestled
(16" x 16", oil on canvas)

I believe that a square format naturally lends itself to a comfortable balance of elements, but with this painting, it’s the cloth that wraps around the apple that is the real key to this cozy image.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Fruit Plate
(12" x 12", oil on canvas)

As often happens during the development of a painting, undervalued details not really considered in the original composition become great additions to the main subject. Here, a simple plate of fruit is made into something a little magical by the cast shadows of the fruit. While I had quite purposefully arranged a nice pattern of shadows, it was actually the colours of these shadows that belatedly captured my attention and brought the painting to an even better conclusion.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

An Apple a Day
(12" 12", oil on canvas)

I was keen on keeping this little canvas as simple as possible. The old can with the peeling paint carries enough interest so that the apple was all that was needed to complete this take on an old adage.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Red Oil
(24" x 24", oil on canvas)

This painting is a companion piece to one I presented a few weeks ago titled Ingredients #3. It has a similar structure, and indeed a few of the same items, but this one hinges on the dominant red oil bottle in the background.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Gold Plate (Still Life for Lawrence)
(30" x 24", oil on canvas)

I have a wonderful team of people who help me in my artistic pursuits, many of whom have absolutely no idea the small but significant roles they play.

There are the ladies from MacPherson who, while they specialize in doll-making supplies, carry some of my favourite brushes and have the best shipping department around. There is Anthony who works for UPS. His calm and quiet demeanour soothes my nerves when handing over 6 months worth of work to be shipped right across the country. And there is Lawrence, who works at my local market and always takes special care when handling my carefully chosen "props". Lawrence suggested pairing this newly purchased bottle with wild garlic, but I had already had my heart set on these artichokes. Still, a good idea and he should know how much I appreciate his input. This one's for you.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Classic White
(24" x 18", oil on canvas)

After careful consideration, I chose a somewhat spare approach for my first painting featuring this classically shaped pitcher. While it would have would have been equally good in an elaborate composition, I felt that a few carefully chosen elements would better accentuate the beautifully balanced form of the pitcher.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.

Ingredients #3
(24" x 24", oil on canvas)

I had been working on this composition, on and off, for two weeks before finally putting paint to canvas. I spent the first day roughing in the large shapes and the next rendering a glass jar filled with fresh tarragon sprigs. This latter part of the composition would be the first to fade, so I wanted to bring it to almost a completed stage before moving onto to the bottles. By the end of the day I realized that no matter how nicely painted, the jar and feathery herb shapes of the tarragon did not belong in this composition and, after about 8 hours of work, I rubbed it out, replacing it with the red bowl. As an experienced painter I felt I should have seen this compositional error sooner, but mistakes are often part of the process.

The next day back in the studio with fresh eyes, I realized I had truly made the right decision—the red bowl was an infinitely better fit. The end result is a great piece, much stronger than it would have been had I stuck with my original composition.

If you’d like to have your personal copy of the Painting of the Week sent directly to your desktop every Wednesday morning please write me at daniele@DanieleLemieux.com.