Contemplating Christmas - Realism Painting

It’s amazing how lovely common things become if one only knows how to look at them. Louisa May Alcott

I love this quote, it speaks specifically to why I paint what I paint. I really like things and find beauty in them; the way light bounces off of glass, the glow of a candle flame or the draping of fabric becomes intriguing to me. If fact, just today i looked out the window and some wet wood caught my eye. It was wet from an earlier rain storm making the grain lines rich and pronounced. I ran outside and took a photo for future reference. A little observation reveals that common things often have uncommon appeal. :)