Critique of Mr. Kefor's painting

Todd Kefor is an English teacher at Norton High School in Norton, Massachusetts, who also has a strong interest in art. His artwork is unique, and influenced by the many places he has traveled, and the many artists he admires, who he frequently discusses in his classes. His image entitled "Still Life" was created in an acrylic paint medium, depicting both life and death, in what appears to be a grim setting.

The composition of this painting is a unique contrast of life and death. There is a grim setting created by the skulls and grey cinder blocks, while an aesthetic array of elegant flowers and bright abstract background shapes create a balance that unifies the painting into a perfectly proportioned mixture that a viewer cannot help but notice.

His main color pallet reflects earth tones, such as browns and greens, depicted in the blocks, skulls, chest, clay monkey, and background. The focal point of the painting seems to be directly in the center, where the light shows most. The realistic effect can be most easily observed through the texture created in the blocks by stacking color on top of color, and shading very realistically. The idea of putting flowers behind the skulls is a subtle way to offset the harsh, grim visual of the skulls and create harmony.