New Painting - Butterfly Gold in Sunlight

Michelle Wiebe Butterfly Gold in Sunlight Acrylic on Canvas 10" x 10" 2017

Vintage Pyrex is super challenging to paint, I've learned. This painting has stymied me for a while now, sitting on my easel while I've puttered away on some other projects. I have my easel set up in my studio so that I can see if from my living room chair. Usually this feels great as I get to think about my next steps in a piece while I have my morning coffee. This time, this painting haunted me each time I sat down to read. 

I think the challenge lies in the milky white interior. When the light is cast through it, there is a hint of the exterior colour that glows through and lights up the interior - part of what makes these dishes so classic and beautiful. Also, this has a lot to do with why they are so hard to paint! Normally this dish looks icy cold white on the inside, but in this arrangement, the interior shifts from the blue all the way to a glowing yellow. As usual, the pattern was the most fun to paint, and this particular one, Butterfly Gold, is where my title comes from.