"Lofty Aspirations"

 

 

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5" x 7" oil on linen panel

 

Everybody else in the world has painted limes at some point, so I figured I'd go ahead and give it a try. I also picked up some linen panels on my most recent internet re-supply run. I think I prefer the look of Ampersand Gessobord, but paint does handle better on a nice textured surface.

 

This photo was very hard to manipulate into a correct representation of the actual painting. The light values and subtle colors in the background were tricky to tune with levels and saturation. Somehow the red accent markings on the limes got lost, and the shadows of the limes are a warmer gray (not so much black) on the real work.

"The Love Cookie"

 

 

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6" x 6" oil on gessoed panel

 

(Note: Title is best said in a Barry White voice.) These "angel cookies" are some of the most profoundly good cookies available. They get high marks from me in taste, texture, aesthetics, and price.

"Dragon Fruit" - SOLD

 

 

SOLD!

 

5" x 7" oil on gessoed panel

 

A visit to the local Asian market this past weekend yielded a couple of new subjects for painting fodder. I seriously considered calling this one "Enter The Dragon (Fruit)" but that just sounds creepy. On the other side of the coin, "Strange Magenta Fruit on Top of Crappy Varnished Table" was too cynical. The real name for the "dragon fruit" is pitaya, and while exotic, some people might not know what a pitaya is, so plain old "Dragon Fruit" it is.

 

The inside of a pitaya is as interesting and pretty as the outside, resembling a poppy seed muffin, but with the texture of a cooked pear. I haven't tried cutting fruit open to paint the insides for a number of reasons, but I may be missing out by not doing so.

"Nectarine In The Mountains" - SOLD

 

 

SOLD!

 

5 "x 7" oil on gessoed panel

 

Another arrangement discovered at random. During setup I put the nectarine down on my green cloth while I was organizing something else. When I looked back at the pile, I realized that I liked how the highlights had fallen on the cloth. I felt that there was only so much I could do with nectarines on a cheap glossy table, and the fruit I had purchased was getting over-ripe, so this is the last nectarine painting for now.

"Nectarine Reflective"

 

 

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5" x 7" oil on gessoed panel

 

My second nectarine, placed flat on top of a cheap side table - again trying to keep it clean and simple.

"Nectarine On Green"

 

 

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6" x 6" oil on gessoed panel

 

In the interest of economy, I endeavour to choose fruit for painting that will also be good for later eating. The large, soft fruits featured in the local stores are usually not very good, but this past week the nectarines were a fragrant, tasty exception. This being my first-ever painting study of a nectarine, I decided to keep it simple.

"Strange Fruit" - SOLD

 

 

SOLD

 

5" x 7" oil on gessoed panel

 

A cucumber is a fruit, according to the internet, but I didn't know that when I titled this one. The figure is about an inch tall. I found it on a staircase a block east of my dorm while out walking one day during my mis-spent year at a large northeastern university... He might be called Lost Buddha, Found Buddha, or perhaps even Boston Buddha, though that sounds like a baseball player's nickname.

 

The cucumber is locally sourced, and it is a straaaange item. If I had a miniature ship model handy, I would have painted the two together and titled the result "Moby Dick", because this particular cucumber reminds me of a Great White Whale in miniature. The colors of this one don't come across very well in the JPG, a lot of the high end values are cut off for some reason. The painted cucumber has more white and clearer highlighting.