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"Notice how our eyes are drawn through this painting by the relationships of one shape to the next. We see a number of objects placed on a rectangular table—a flower pot, a silver bowl, a number of onions, a Greek vase, and two rectilinear pieces of stone. The repeating contrast of rounded shapes set against rectilinear shapes draws our attention to these items. But instead of rapidly jumping from one element to another, our eyes are allowed to linger on and fully observe each item before our attention is directed to the next one.

"The viewer's eye is likely to be drawn first to the white onion in the center, the brightest spot against the darkest contrast. The eye then slowly lingers over each onion in the bowl, and the bowl itself. Then our attention is drawn to the red highlights and the round shape of the warrior's shield on the Greek vase, which echoes the color and shape of the onions. Our eyes wind their way around the vase, up the handle, around the lip of the vase, and down the left edge until we spot the little onion near the foot of the vase.

"Here, notice the similarity of the graceful curve of the vase to the curve of the onion. Then linger some more on the bowl of onions, stopping to notice each stem; the stems strongly contrast to the rounded onions, and we can't help but notice them. Then notice the fluted edge of the bowl itself and how the light dances off those flutes to create light rays that radiate from the bowl to the edge of the stone and down the front surface of the stone.

"At this point our eyes might catch the onion on the left by itself, half in and half out of the light. As we examines this onion, we might spot the loose bit of papery onion skin, which draws the eye along its edge to the stem. There, we finally see the flower pot that is in the shadows on the left, quietly waiting to be noticed. Without it, the painting would be missing much depth and height. This pot quietly anchors the left edge of the painting, helping to create the sense that there is a volume of space that this scene inhabits.

"What the composition of this painting does is to gently and carefully take you on a tour through a selection of beautiful things, allowing you to pause and visually explore each one. The artist has arranged each thing to its best advantage—allowing each thing to be explored, discovered, and understood. But unlike a botanical painting whose main emphasis is to illustrate and understand the specific characteristics of a particular species, this painting's main emphasis is to encourage you to notice and enjoy the beauty of these items. As viewers, we are invited to join the artist in relishing the objects she has chosen to paint—to appreciate, as she has, the delightful visual scene carefully and purposefully arranged for her (and our) pleasure.

"Notice again the skill in rendering the details in this painting. Careful attention is paid to illustrate the translucency of the onion skins, with their characteristic ribs and lines. And notice how we see a similar lined, or in this case, fluted edge of the silver bowl. While the light gently diffuses off the onion skins, notice how the light shimmers and dances off the fluting on this bowl. Each flute gathers up the light, focuses it, and then sends it out across the stone. Our eyes delight in the various surfaces—the shiny, smooth bowl, the gentle shimmer of the papery onion skins, the crinkly texture of the stems of the onions, the soft shine of the glaze on the Greek vase, and the sandy matte texture of the stone.

"Notice, too, on the front edge of the stone, that there is a small chip missing. This is an important part of the painting. Imagine if the stone had no chip; it might look as if there were a blank spot in the painting, a spot with no detail or texture to reward our attention. And notice how in that chipped area, we see curving shadow lines that are reminiscent of the lines we see on the onion skins, or perhaps the curving bands on the Greek vase, or the rim of the flower pot.

"While each item is expertly rendered, notice that we don't find our eyes jumping to every object at once. The artist has increased the detail in certain areas and subdued the detail in others in order to give more prominence to some objects and less prominence to others. For example, the Greek vase, the silver bowl, and the onions are clearly our focus. The flower pot on the left, while important for the composition, doesn't demand our attention to the same extent as the other items, because it is portrayed in a softer focus.

"Finally, notice what may be the most subtle element of this painting but also possibly the strongest: its color harmony. The painting is largely rendered in the complementary color pairings of blue and orange—but instead of a blaring contrast, as you might see in the uniforms of a college football team, we see a cool bluish-gray gently set off from a range of warm orangish-red terracotta hues. A little touch of a very subdued green in the flower pot adds variety and brings our attention to a similar hue in the stems of the onions. And notice the color of the shadow in that chip on the front edge of the stone: it isn't just a flat black or gray, but a color that perfectly reflects the color harmony of the rest of the scene: it is a bluish-gray tone. So are the shadows between the rays of light on the stone. Each detail of each object in the painting is observed, thought of, and painted to show that object off to its very best. Every color, even the color of the tiniest shadow, is carefully observed to reflect the prevailing light and natural color harmony of the scene, helping create an integrated visual world within this painting."

—Sherri Tracinski, The Intellectual Activist, Vol. 19, No. 4