The Collecting Shelf - April 10, 2019


"The Collecting Shelf"
Acrylic 

"The Collecting Shelf" shows how easy it is to collect "treasure" in our homes. The painting was based off a picture of local wooden furniture in my hometown. In the small town of Floyd, the Floyd Historical Society creates a theme for artists to use in their annual scholarship for graduating seniors. At the time, I was unable to enter the scholarship due to my age, but I was fortunate enough to have my painting displayed in the Floyd Historical Society Museum along side the other scholarship paintings depicting furniture in Floyd. Months after completion, I visited the museum and found that my painting was resting on the actual shelf it was based upon; it was amazing to see my art and the real world meet for a short while.  

In my painting, I focused mainly on patterns and colors. With many repeating shelves of books, I had to figure out ways to make each shelf different and unique from the other. I painted books in different directions, and some books showed only covers while others showed pages. I also worked with colors and trying to get the viewer's eyes to move around to see the shapes that the colors created. Highlights were also a focus in the clock, oil lamps, and candle holders among the shelves. 

What I love most about "The Collecting Shelf" is that there are so many trinkets and knick-knacks that the viewer can find in the picture. One has to take their time to see every little detail in the items. 






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