Blood Orange & Blue
30 x 17.5 in. (76 x 44 cm)
Watercolor on paper, on aluminum panel
$5,900, framed
Available through the artist
Matthew Bird makes vibrant still life paintings in watercolor, bringing ordinary object to life with stunning clarity. Still life painting offers the opportunity to explore different textures and colors in great detail; which is particularly energetic in Blood Orange & Blue.
Complementary colors can mix to create beautiful greys, but when painted next to each other, they are especially dynamic because they play off the opposite’s intensity. Joining forces, the warm orange hues and the various blues from the jars and fabric create dynamic visual interest.
Matthew works methodically, incorporating many layers to build up rich darks and popping color. Pure watercolor is a transparent medium—no white paint is used. Areas that are white reveal the original paper surface, carefully preserved during the progression.
In the final step, the watercolor paper is mounted to ACM panel (aluminum composite material) to provide a rigid, archival surface and to flatten the painting, eliminating any warping in the watercolor process. This extensive practice is time consuming, and when done after the painting is completed, requires great care and patience so there is no risk to the painting.
Matthew Bird lives outside Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and children, where he paints with a deep love and respect for nature and life, enjoying both portrait and still life work.
He is a Signature Member of numerous organizations, including the National Watercolor Society where he serves as vice president, and his award-winning watercolor paintings have been exhibited in juried shows across the United States, as well as in Canada, China, England, Greece, Hong Kong, and Italy. His work is in a permanent museum collection as well as numerous private collections.
Visit matthewbird.com for more work by Matthew Bird, or to sign up for his e-newsletter.
And go behind the scenes via:
Facebook: Matthew Bird Studio
Instagram: @_matthewbird_
