Battle of the Fruits: Kiwi

Miniature #18 (part 2/4)
Oil on canvas board
12"x16" oil
January 17, 2009

I always wanted to paint a realistic kiwi with the dull, muted browns and the deep earthy greens, but as soon as I start, I lose control and render this loose, shiny, jewel-like fruit. Kiwis just refuse to behave!

Battle of the Fruits: Apple

Miniature #17 (part 1)
Oil on canvas board
12"x16" oil
January 17, 2009

In case you're wondering why I have been posting so frequently recently. It's because I caught a nasty flu and didn't leave the house. However, I'm too hyperactive to stay nice and put in bed, so I alternated regularly between painting at the kitchen table and crashing on the couch watching mindless TV. I painted so much that I actually ran out of my miniature canvases. :( So, I split a large one in four. This is part one of the series. This style is looser than I usually am but I nevertheless like it.

One Man Down

Miniature #14
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
January 14, 2009

I absolutely hate wasting paint. If they are mucky colours, I'll tone canvas with them, but what do you do when you have a plateful of beautiful, shimmering oranges, yellows, and reds? Well, you peel the orange you just finished painting and start a new composition! Eating and chores just had to wait. The colours were calling out to me. The way the light penetrated the two slices at the left and made them glow is simply magical.

Unwrap Me

Miniature #13
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
January 14, 2009

This was really fast to paint. This painting and the next one took a total of 3 hours altogether. This is coming from someone who spends that amount of time or more on one painting over several days, waiting for each layer of paint to dry. The result here is less refined, but juicier and more emotional. I also used a fatter brush. My favourite part is the ring of peel and its shadow. They look like they're dancing.

The Lucent Pear

Miniature #12
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
January 12, 2009

I make a point never to eat anything I paint since I'm a messy artist and tend to get paint on my clothes, my skin, and my models – and truthfully, turpentine and linseed oil don’t strike me as very tasteful condiments. This is the same pear as in last painting. I loved it so much I simply had to paint it again but this time on a lighter background. I like how snug the pear looks, all cuddled in a lush blanket. It probably knows I won’t eat it – it will simply sit on my desk, all lovely and inspiring… and eventually rot.

Thrusting Banana

Miniature #10
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
Sometime between September and December 2008

The title seems suggestive, but the meaning is truly innocent – this painting reminds me of a walrus jumping from a platform into a pool. Can’t anyone just see the flippers and hear that delightful sound? This plate is absolutely beautiful so I’ll need to show it off on its own someday. Concerning logistics, I wanted the banana to look just right so I kept on biting it hoping that Providence grant me something interesting. At one point, the fruit got so short, I had to peel a second one and start all over again. No wonder I’m not hungry after a painting session!

A Green Delight

Miniature #9
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
Sometime between September and December 2008

I don't feel 100% satisfied with this so I didn't want to post it at first; however, I haven't updated in so long that I might just as well show people the botched painbtings. I don't think I got the flesh of the apple or the triangular highlight just right yet. On the plus side, I'm really satisfied with how the bowl and its shadow came out. It's a pretty ordinary white bowl, but I love the blue shadows inside it.

Orange You Glad?

Miniature #8
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
September 10, 2008

I painted this last Wednesday. After failing a landscape painting, I decided to tackle a wedge of orange. I am a compulsive correcter, constantly finding faults and repainting over areas. This time, I tried to restrain myself, calculate my brushstrokes and not overdo it. The white you see in the background is actually virgin canvas. Orange you glad I didn't overdo it?

Kiwitastic

Miniature #7
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
First week of September, 2008

In retrospect, I really didn't like paintings 5 and 6 -- they were too low key for my taste. I love the vibrant greens of the kiwi flesh. The orange makes the slices pop out even more. The background is giving me light retina burns though. :)

Polish Delight

Miniature #4
Oil on canvas board
7"x9" oil
June ?, 2008

I never tasted Turkish Delight before, but these individually packaged chocolates we get from a Polish store are amazing. Too bad I started this painting during a heat wave and under an intense light bulb. When I picked the chocolate up after I finished painting, it was all soft and molten. I refrigerated it and had fun licking pieces off the foil. :)

Shiny Tomatoes

Miniature #1
Oil on canvas board
9"x12" oil
May 27, 2008

I have been watching other daily painters for a while now, and believe that it is high time to join them. What better idea to study the world around us than by making quick sketches of daily objects? Although I must add that my 9"x12" painting is getting on the large end for miniatures.

Since fruits and vegetables are a perennial favorite, here are my contribution fresh from the garden. I love the sheen these tomatoes took under a bright spotlight. They almost look as though they are made of glass.