First Tracks

On the surface, First Tracks is a still life of antique skis, poles, and boots. But on a deeper level, I used this exquisite equipment to study the aesthetics of both balance and contrast. For example, in terms of balance, my creative question was: How do I position these long, narrow objects and couple them with light and shadow to please the eye? Thinking about contrast: How do I use the light and dark colors and the glossy and muted textures to both represent the objects and also create interest? Much of my success in answering these questions lay in the configuration of the scene itself. It was imperative to position the skis where they could be fully visible yet at an angle that would create intriguing shadows. I ended up moving the whole composition from place to place, ultimately staging the work in my garage so that I could catch natural light and have the blue sky outside reflect in the patina of the skis.