Irma Stern: Still Life with Poppies and Fruit

Another one of Irma Sterns beautiful still lifes, painted in 1935.  She just does them so well, don't you think?

Irma Stern is one of South Africa's most famous woman painters, highly sought after by both the local and international art collectors market.  During her lifetime, there was almost 100 solo exhibitions of her work during in South Africa and Europe.  She had a very characteristic style and worked in a variety of media.  Her travels greatly influenced her work and she was especially fond of painting portraits and still lifes.  

This specific still life was painted in 1935.  Still lifes were a favourite subject matter for Irma Stern, it allowed her to express her true style and identity in the colours and the expressive details she painted.  Most of her still lifes included fruits or flowers or a combination of the two, sometimes combined with some of the interesting articles she collected while on her extensive travels.  Although it might looked like it was put together haphazardly, she was very aware of composition and specifically selected pieces and backgrounds and even frames sometimes to enhance all aspects of visual enjoyment.  You can read more about her life's work on this website: http://www.irmastern.co.za/

I read somewhere someone describes her work as voluptuous, I found that such an apt description.  There is so much life, energy, texture and vibrancy in each of her paintings, they seem full and could keep you occupied for quite a while.  I love the blue and orange hues in this one and once again, typical of her work, the composition is beautiful.  Enjoy exploring the exciting potential of colours with us and paint your own version of one of her masterpieces.

This colourful and beautiful 40 x 50cm version of her still life is a challenging one and has 27 colours.  Each box contains a stretched, printed and numbered canvas, paint, brushes and a page detailing the numbers for an extra reference.