I left a message for help with my painting on the critique message board and then after seeing what other artists said about my work, I thought it might be a good one for you or Roger to use for a learning lesson. I certainly would appreciate your help, and it just might help others to see the problem areas laid out and corrected. The oil painting is on a 12x24 canvas and I did use artificial flowers because I paint so slow. While the painting was in progress I brought in some real roses, but it did not help much. I did not have the courage to paint the details on the breakfast creamer. The real problem, as I see it, is the vase. It seems to float.

• Your objects are well placed.
• There is plenty of breathing space.
• Some portions of the objects are touching the frame therefore giving an anchored feeling.
• The drape in the background gives has nice movement.
• The perspective and drawing are excellent.

• I feel there is too much priority on white, which is a neutral color. Color schemes are very personal, but most people prefer colorful subjects.
• It is wiser not to repeat forms or color. I'm referring to the roses. A change in color in the rose on the right will enhance it more.
• Also, still lifes should have a focal point in which there is stronger value contrast and richer color. In your painting, it's hard to determine that area. The vase and the creamer are both asking for attention.
• You worked very hard on the table cloth, but I feel that there is too much length.The less area that is dedicated to the main subject, the more they start losing importance. I would've used that extra time instead to work on the designs in the creamer.
• Yes, the vase does float a bit, because the shadow below is too wide.

The color scheme was changed quite a bit. The flower vase was pushed back into the distance by adding blue to it. The picture was cropped to eliminate some of the table cloth. Now it seems the objects are closer giving it a "zoomed in" feeling. The cloth at the bottom of the vase now overlaps the vase to make it stand in. I did use the design drawn in the creamer.

Please take into account that is was done digitally and it is an approximation to what it would look like with a real brush and paint.