Sometimes my gerbils take baths in that purple ceramic

Sometimes my gerbils take baths in that purple ceramic. 5x7, oil on panel

I've been painting that purple ceramic since I started doing still lifes. It and the blue vase were in my very first alla prima painting. I like to return to these subjects because its helpful to compare the old and the new, but I also just love these colors. Adding the yellow cup is what really brought this composition together.

And yes, sometimes I fill that purple ceramic with sand and let my two gerbils take a sand bath in it. They love it.