The "S" in Design

The winding road subject is the best example of the "S" curve in design. But it can be applied to still lifes as well. Here, in "March of the Mushrooms" you can trace the trail of the 'shrooms and see the curve.

This painting also illustrates another landscape device---- the Diminishing Repeat, which is used to achieve perspective. Large shapes in the foreground are repeated as they recede into the background and get smaller, giving the sense of distance.

I'm basically a landscape painter, but the theories of composition apply to well designed still lifes and even portraiture paintings. Look for the "S" and the "L" in those kinds of paintings as well.