Setting the Stage

Some of the top still life painters working today break down their processes for creating powerful compositions  

- Alyssa M. Tidwell

Still life painting, among many things, is about elevating the allure of everyday objects. It's a simple scene distilled down to its most poignant elements, a result of stellar composition and artful combinations of arrangement and lighting. Through these deliberate choices, artists can make a still life feel clean and refreshing, or bold and enrapturing.

All at once, static scenes become dynamic and full of life.

"The spark for a still life idea can come at any time. It often begins with an object to build a story around," says Todd M. Casey, artist, teacher and author of books like The Art of Still Life: A Contemporary Guide to Classical Techniques, Composition, and Painting in Oil and Cocktails, A Still Life. "An object or idea can come either from an experience, seeing paintings in a museum, serendipitously, or by another art form such as reading or music. Once I have my idea, I try to take as much time to build the story and make an interesting composition. A good painting can come together quickly if you have the right props to tell the story, but sometimes they take a long time."