Kathleen Swaydan

Cherry Tomatoes Kathleen Swaydan

Oil on Linen Panel 6" x 8" $225

Cherry Tomatoes is a fun, colorful painting. The seasonal heirloom cherry tomatoes come in a wide range of colors and contrast nicely with the turquoise mug. The mug and plate have highly reflective surfaces which, I hope, adds to the illusion of three dimensionality. The tomatoes have a translucent quality that adds to the play between hard and soft surfaces. While most of the tomatoes are in the mug and on the plate, a few renegades have slipped into the background. The background is intentionally muted which makes the colorful items pop.

My art focuses primarily on realistic still life and landscape paintings. I work in several media but have gravitated toward oil over the last few years. My art is influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of landscape and still life paintings. 65 Contact information for this artist can be found on page 78.

Matilija Poppy Kathleen Swaydan

Oil on Ampersand Panel 5" x 7" $105

There are several items I paint every year; this is one of them. The petals are translucent and luminous when caught in the sunlight, and they are crisp like paper. Although the petals are white, they tend to display a wide range of color. These qualities make the Matilija interesting to paint. This is not a view most artists choose. I chose it because I love the way the yellow center glows through the petals. Matilija Poppies are a reminder of my childhood. They grew wild in the dry streambed behind my Grandparent’s house in Big Tujunga Canyon.

My art focuses primarily on realistic still life and landscape paintings. I work in several media but have gravitated toward oil over the last few years. My art is influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of landscape and still life paintings. Contact information for this artist can be found on page 78. 66