This is my second or third traditional still life. It is primarily about the traditional nature of the genre and the treatment. I used a composition similar to some that I've admired for the rich colors and value depth. The contrasts between the textures and shapes of the objects is the primary subject of the painting. Still lifes fascinate me in that the entire subject and painting are completely under the control of the artist, unlike a landscape or figure study where the source material has at least some minor "found" element whether it is the shape of a hillside, the turn of a boat, the roundness of a shoulder, or the availability of a highlight. This degree of control can be simultaneously freeing and intimidating. It also motivates me, as an artist, to push beyond the reference just as if it were a "found" treasure.