Three Recent Still Lifes

Spring's First Array
Oil on linen • 12" x 9" • Available
To inquire, email Contact@AdamClague.com

Today, I added three recent still lifes to my website. I just finished "Spring's First Array" (left) this morning. The flowers are from a bouquet I gave my wife for Valentine's Day. They were so beautiful, I just had to paint them!

Blues and Yellows
Oil on linen • 7" x 5" • Available
To inquire, email Contact@AdamClague.com

Longing For Beauty
Oil on linen • 11" x 16" • Available
To inquire, email Contact@AdamClague.com

I am in awe of God's Creation, and never cease to be inspired by its beauty! Recently, I had the privilege of writing an article on beauty for the Winter '13 issue of Artists On Art Magazine. If you don't already have a subscription to this incredible digital magazine, I highly recommend signing up! Below is an excerpt from the article that describes the painting to the left:

"This fall, my wife and I stopped at a convenience store that had a large basket full of unusual gourds. Initially, we laughed at how delightfully ugly the gourds were. But eventually, we also marveled that each was unique, fascinating, and even beautiful in its own way. My wife surprised me by buying several for me to use as still life items. To me, one of the gourds (pictured in the upper left) resembled a freakish creature with a swan’s head and spider-like legs gripping a yellow-and-green beach ball. Try as I might, I could not abandon this characterization of the gourd. As a result, this painting is somewhat allegorical. The gourd peeks from behind a leaf to hide its supposed ugliness as it gazes upon the lily and longs to have its beauty. But unlike the ugly duckling, which eventually becomes a beautiful swan, the gourd will never become a flower. But it does not matter, because all Creation, from the majestic sunrise to the humble gourd, is already beautiful. We just have to teach our eyes to recognize it."