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Winter
Berries by Arleta Pech
A Study in
Repetition and Contrast
The
still life subject is placed against a backdrop of white, gray and
darkness, creating a grid in cool tones. the warmth of the red buds
and berries seem to glow with warmth emanating from an unseen
source. The time is clearly winter, suggested by the cold, sleek,
silver goblet with its elongated stem; the bowl of the goblet and
its red reflections stand tall above the stark branches of the berry
plant. Yet the roses are in full bloom in this mid-winter scene.
Have we once again gone into Alice's Wonderland? Is this the red of
the Queen of Hearts?
Dogwood blooms cut to grace a pure white mantle conjure up images of
spring come to the South. The tonal scheme, all in coolest shades of
bluish whites and grays are reflected in the mirror of the silver
vessel. It is all balance and light: the elegant turn of the
handles, the perfect symmetry of the quadruple bracts of the
dogwood. Even the tight little flowers at the blooms’ centers are
still closed, still green, still fresh. White may well be the
signature color of the Old South. The white mantle rests against the
white wall inside the large white plantation home. Dogwoods bloom
white as the heralds of spring. Soon, the countryside will explode
into floral extravagance. But for now, it is cool, it is spring, it
is pure, it is white
