This project was commissioned by one of my favorite clients, Hil Harper. He is quite the aficionado of Southern style and is also the author of Gentleman South, a blog that was formed to spread the word on quality, unique Southern finds. He has asked me to create a simple painting of this Mason jar that will invoke nostalgia of culture it has come to represent. This piece is to be the centerpiece in his new kitchen. What fun! I will really have a great time
painting this one.

First off, I created a textured background that creates the feeling of filtered light– perhaps the dappled sunlight under the trees during a picnic or the afternoon light through the kitchen window waiting for canning season to begin…I used ultramarine blue and yellow ochre acrylic paint. I mix all my colors from primary colors so I have only a total of 8 tubes of paint- (3 warm primary colors, 3 cool primary colors and then neutral tint for my black and then white. While it is more challenging to recreate colors exactly (color matching also gets easier the more you do it too!) the colors have a much more organic feel. Here is the background and the jar layout in chalk. I almost like this as much as the finished piece.. I will call it “Ghost of the Mason Jar”.

And now for the finished piece - Acrylic painting on 30 x 36” canvas.