Still Life with Sardines and Olives

Two sardines lie on bare wood, their silver-blue flanks curved against a few dark olives.

There’s such a humble quiet here. Look how the fish curve, their bodies resting against that small cluster of dark olives. The colors are all so soft—the silver-blues on their skin, with a hint of rose underneath, and then the deep green of the olives. A patient light drifts in from the side, just enough to catch that wet sheen and throw a little shadow. You can feel the texture of the paint change, can't you? So smooth on the fish, but rougher for the wood of the table. A quiet hour settles over everything, holding this simple meal in its own slow time.