I worked on this painting today after starting it late last week.  "Little Me", 12x16, oil on canvas.

The concept of the painting was to have the light build from left to right, ending at the small vase and yellow flowers.

I intentionally composed the items small with a lot of atmosphere, or space, to enhance the idea of 'smallness'.

Emotionally, I set up this still life this way because I was feeling small and ineffectual.  The love I have for my teenage daughter is enormous, but as she grows I find that I am unable to help her at times, and it's heartbreaking.   So, that's 'little me', standing on the sidelines, watching her go through life's struggles and enduring life's pains.  Hopefully my brightness and love will help her through these difficult times.

Here's the painting as it progressed.  It was challenging to paint and definitely took my mind off the worries of the day. 

First I started with a value sketch.  

I started the painting with putting in shadow shapes.

Next I painted the background and the shapes in the light. 

 Lastly, I added the flowers.  

Here are some close up details of some of the elements.