Peach perfection: Capturing still life in oil

Demo held: Monday, 06 July, 2026

Catherine McVean presented a delightful art demonstration in Devizes, captivating attendees with a still life composition featuring a silver cup and two peaches. This hands-on demonstration showcased her process for translating a captivating scene into vibrant oil paintings.

Catherine began by presenting her setup on an 8” x 10” MDF board, arranging the silver cup and peaches within an open-fronted, three-sided cream box on a crisp white cloth. This strategic setup was designed to maintain a strong focus, allowing attendees to absorb the nuances of the composition.

To start, Catherine loosely sketched the arrangement using a rigger brush dipped in burnt sienna. She quickly moved into painting the silver cup with a mix of silver, burnt sienna, cadmium yellow, and oxide brown. After establishing the base colours, she introduced cadmium blue at the bottom to define the cup's contours.

Catherine emphasised the importance of shadowing, adding the first lines of shadow down the cup and beneath the peaches to create depth. The edges retained a subdued quality, reflecting the cloth within the cup and grounding the piece.

Next, Catherine turned her attention to the peaches, carefully outlining their shapes. The left peach was painted darker, utilising a mixture of cadmium yellow deep and crimson red to avoid muddiness. Depth was added with subtle hints of purple and reddish-brown, along with ultramarine blue and crimson at the top.

The second peach was depicted lighter and brighter, featuring cadmium red on top, with an orange mix below and a bright cadmium yellow centre highlight. This careful layering brought the fruit to life with texture and vibrancy.

For the pale cream box and cloth, Catherine applied various tones ranging from ultramarine, burnt sienna, and yellow ochre to transparent oxide brown for shadows, ensuring no sharp edges just yet. She reflected the fruit colours in the cloth using a mixture of yellow ochre and cadmium red, skillfully integrating the elements of the composition.

After blocking in the main components, Catherine encouraged participants to take a short break and review their work critically, a crucial moment in the artistic process.

Upon returning, she outlined the final adjustments: softening the edges, sharpening the highlights, and enhancing the shadows. The lower areas of the foreground were warmed up using deeper yellows, adding an inviting glow to the piece.

The June LAS art demonstration not only provided a detailed exploration of still life techniques but also served as a platform for artists to learn and grow together. With Catherine’s guidance, attendees left feeling inspired, equipped with fresh ideas and encouragement.

We look forward to more engaging events as we continue to celebrate local talent and creativity within the Lawrence Art Society. Thank you to all who attended.

The June LAS art demonstration not only provided a detailed exploration of still life techniques but also served as a platform for artists to learn and grow together. With Catherine’s guidance, attendees left feeling inspired, equipped with fresh ideas and encouragement.

We look forward to more engaging events as we continue to celebrate local talent and creativity within the Lawrence Art Society. Thank you to all who attended.

The Artist

Catherine McVean is an oil painter based in Ascot on the border of Berkshire & Surrey. Catherine is best known for her still life oil paintings, which she describes as quiet celebrations of everyday life. Working from the quiet of her home studio, Catherine builds compositions pairing seasonal items with objects which surround her; either treasured pieces she has collected over time or objects chosen for their own beauty, shape and texture.

Visit Catherine's website here.