Entry L – 1st Place Winner
20″ x 16″, Oil paint and tools associated with oils
The still life’s of Caravaggio as well as the concept of childhood inspired my piece entitled “After Nap Snack ” done with oil on canvas. The act of peeling and eating an orange has a playful, messy, joyful air about it. It is a sensory experience that is childlike in nature: the fiery orange catches the eye, the citrus smell demands attention, the hands get sticky with the fruit’s juice, the tongue is hit with a sharp sort of sweetness, and the remnants of the peel stay under your fingertips for the rest of the day. In order to convey this experience I chose to portray an orange atop a whimsically patterned plate in the process of being peeling, moments before enjoyment. Using Caravaggio’s attention to light and vibrant colors I aimed to capture the joy and reversion to childhood while peeling an orange.