deconstructing still life

This is the set up I've hat sitting in my office/art studio for the past 3 months- waiting for my dear husband to construct some stretcher frames for me to begin the actual still life. With the stretcher frames still unfinished and while I am increasingly more antsy to begin the painting, I have deconstructed the items, packed them in my suitcase, and will re-set them once I am in Wisconsin. The stretcher frames will be constructed by your's truly and the painting will soon emerge. yay. I like the set up/composition and hopefully will be able to reconstruct it exactly as shown here. I will update you all on my progress.

I am hoping this Wisconsin trip is a productive one for me. I have had all of these paintings running through my head for the past 4 months and haven't had the opportunity to really dive in and produce them. Having a toddler and a baby really puts a hault on things such as oil painting. I have portraits planned, still lives sketched, even some new illustrations that I can't wait to begin. My plan is to spend the next year producing as many new pieces of art as I can- in two main bodies/styles: traditional/classical oil painting with portraits, still lives, and landscapes and my illustration style with some new children's book illustrations. The traditional work will serve as gallery exhibit work - or at least as entry into some classes at a local atelier, and the illustrations will hopefully land me a book deal!