This workshop will focus on the problem of creating still-life paintings that incorporate the larger spatial context in which the still-life is set. Students will make paintings from observation with an emphasis on light, color, structure and pictorial design. We will start by addressing the problem of finding a subject and the practical and formal problems of setting up a still-life. We will discuss how to organize and simplify complex information, how to create a unified sense of light throughout a picture and how to interpret color and tone relationships. We will also cover aspects of drawing that will help in the creation of a convincing sense of space.