I hope the idea behind this painting is reasonably clear; as the title suggests it is contemplating ways of painting, specifically in this case, still life. It can be read clockwise from my hand painting the coffee pot, cup and apple in a representational way, through other styles of still life painting. I have borrowed/quoted from the styles of a number of well known artists; hopefully you can recognise them. In each case they used the traditional subjects of fruit, flowers and china to a greater or lesser extent. The artists I have chosen were largely working in the late 19th, early 20th centuries, at a time when art increasingly moved away from straightforward representational forms. The painting is essentially asking the question; how should I seek to represent things in paint? I don't think I really have an answer yet.