Five Cylinders, oil/canvas 24" x 12" is an homage to Stella's beloved cylinders. It depicts the work of a tidy, hopeful toddler before the distraction of greater ambition overtakes her. Cylinders are some of Stella's favorite blocks, although they must be the most challenging of all to stack. She likes to group them together in a special "cylinder only" area on one side of the table. Sometimes her play ends there and a sorted space is her reward. Other times she starts building with them immediately.
Stella is still learning that the long slender shapes are difficult to balance end-on-end and after only three or four cylinders a meltdown is imminent. She takes her little defeats in stride once or twice, but after a few more failed attempts the uncooperative blocks are punished with an angry swipe of her hand and sent crashing to the floor. Next, Stella collapses dramatically in her overstuffed toddler armchair and begins to discuss her favorite aquatic life - fish, sharks, rays - as though nothing ever happened! I pick up her blocks and try to follow our new conversation about a trip to the aquarium.
I painted Five Cylinders with tighter brushwork than usual in part to spend extra time observing the shapes and the play of directional light across them. However, the smaller brushstrokes and more detailed rendering also convey the sense of order and potential energy I felt observing them. It's as though even the blocks, themselves, tensed at the thought of their upcoming fall.
