I was a very active child and the only way my parents could get me to sit down was to give me crayons and paper. Later, I received art supplies, which I still have and treasure.  Although I have had many careers, I have always painted. 

What excites me is how light falls on an object, as it moves throughout the days and year. I spend time watching how light falls and changes an object from ordinary to extraordinary.  My paintings, whether in oil, acrylic, or watercolor, embody this essence of light and shadow - they are my norm - as they give my work a sense of power and grace.

During the Covid-19 lock down, unable to travel and plein air paint, my garden became my muse.  I have a variety of roses, tulips, hydrangeas, lupines, lilacs, and peonies, all waiting to be painted.  They are the Earth's precious jewels, and it is a privilege to paint them.  

Painting brings me peace and offers a place for me to celebrate the beauty around me.  I hope my art brings joy to your heart and your home, as it has done to mine.

My work can be found in private collections around the world and in the Cayman Islands National Museum.

I am proud to be a juried member of Oil Painters of America, the Cambridge and Newton Art Associations.

ABOUT HOW I PAINT

OILS

Oil paints consist of finely ground pigments suspended in oil - generally linseed or walnut oil.  The oil suspension allows the paint to dry slowly and  artists to make gradual changes to their paintings over time.

Oil is a diverse medium, allowing for thick gooey impasto and wet-in-wet blending, as well as thin translucent glazes and subtle tonal ranges.  Oil paint creates rich depths and subtle realism in the depiction of flesh, petals, fabrics and textures.  For these reasons, oil became the medium of choice for portraits of individuals from the Renaissance onwards, and is my choice as well.

I use a variety of oil paint brands in my work, but my main brand is Old Holland Classic Oil Colors.  They have been in existence since 1664 and have a very high pigment to oil ratio with no fillers.

EN PLEIN AIR

Painting outdoors - en plein air, or "in the open air" - was the key characteristic of impressionism.  Artists believed that completing a painting in the actual scene they were depicting meant that their sensitivity towards the location would be more finely attuned than if they sketched outside and completed the painting in the studio, as had been the norm.

I regularly paint en plein air as I feel it helps with my studio paintings.  I have become more finely attuned to the way light behaves on a subject and how it moves. It also is a gets me out of the studio.

Today, en plein air painting is common with thousands of painters participating en plein air events and workshops around the world.

Afternoon Light below was painted en plien air.

ALLA PRIMA

Alla prima - at first attempt - painting wet-in-wet, is just what it sounds like: applying a layer of oil paint directly on top, or right by, wet paint. 

I paint alla prima still life paintings, such as Nautilus below. 

Questions about how I paint?  Feel free to email me at pearl@pearlwhitestudio.com.