'propagation' Turning away for the moment from figures, here is an other example of still life, one using a living creature as an inquiry point......... there are, of course, many layers on the meaning being used in the theme/title - from the obvious one of the spouting coconut, juxapost on the once living wood table - to the query of the non-living churn and glass... notice, tho, the lack of decay in the rendering - a paeon to the living as being important, as well as the practical as being an application of the living... then there is the mouse - the 'inquiry agent' as it were, seemingly critiquing the whole of the composition... at this point, there is the shading, but with a light shadow - which will in time be darkened, as it'll improve the 'grounding' of the rendering [ nothing worse than visualizing a 'floating abstraction']......note, tho, that there is a continuation between the spouting coconut and the churn and the glass - all within the theme/titling.....