Crystal Ball With Wood Blocks

The subject matter in this painting is a little different than what I've been painting. It includes a crystal ball and a wood pyramid.

The original painting is for sale.


Well, technically, the crystal ball is made from acrylic plastic but it looks just like a real crystal ball.

I'm always looking out for new still life material. I found this plastic ball over a year ago and I bought it with the idea of using it in a still life painting.

I enjoy painting glass and transparent objects and various lighting effects. For example, many of my paintings include glass bottles and vases.

Part of my process is to take still life photographs on a regular basis so I always have reference material to paint from.

Many of these photos never get painted. But what drew me to this image is the way the light interacts with the crystal ball. It projects light onto the wood pyramid and on the surface of the table.

The interesting lighting effects also adds to the mystery of this image.

Crystal Ball With Wood Blocks
8”x10”
Acrylic on canvas board
Chris Breier © 2020

The distorted images in the ball are fun to figure out. When I'm painting, I have time to think about what's actually going on with the light and reflections.

If you look closely at the ball, there's a small version of the wood blocks within the refection of the ball. It’s also upside down.

I think the ball intensifies the light because the light that falls on the wood pyramid seems to be brighter than surrounding areas–it acts like a giant lens.