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Setup above, finished painting below

Setup above, finished painting below. Notice the shift in focus. In the physical setup, the light is most powerful on the leftmost orange, because that's what's closest to the light source. In the painting, the light is where I want it--on the goblet. With some careful planning I could make a setup that matches almost exactly the lighting situation that I intend, but that would kill an opportunity for experimentation and would take away from the richness of my journey. I strongly prioritize process over result. My reason for making art is the process itself. Meaning comes from process, story comes from process, frustration and joy come from process. If a painting lacks a process of discovery, it's not art, it's reproduction. Which, for me, would inspire indifference--the antithesis of creativity. This is "Goblet Filled With Light" from 2018, 9x12 oil on panel.

A Realism nature piece by David Cheifetz at David Cheifetz, posted on Jan 6, 2026.

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