Tin foil is a favorite backdrop for me... creating interesting passages of light and reflected color from the objects placed upon it, giving a semi-abstract feel to the painting. This is the first time I have painted silver objects upon a silver background and I must say it was an interesting experience. "Paint what you see", I kept telling myself, not what you "think" you see. Our left brain (the analytical side), loves to overpower our thoughtful creative right brain. The left brain kept telling me to paint silver on silver, because we all know that silverware is silver in color and so is tin foil... but my right brain kept repeating the painters' mantra of "Paint what you see", telling me to really look at the spoons lying on the tin foil and paint all the colors that appeared in the reflected surfaces of each.
Yes, there were many shades of gray, but there were also tints, tones and shades of blue, and orange... reflections from the various objects that surrounded this still life that really created what I was focused on painting.
How many other things in our lives are reflections of what is surrounding us?
One of my new years resolutions is to "Paint what I see, not what I think I see..." in as many areas of my life as possible.