Enough Fruit

Painting in progress. Chocolate Cannoli, day two. Chocolate cannoli
have to be easier to make, then they are to paint.

I imagine Cannoli aren't easy to make, for they certainly aren't easy to paint. I spent the day searching for the mix of the darkest cannoli chocolate with some life in it. I wasn't entirely successful. As I keep working though, the answer will come; it always does.

Pink is the connective color  in this trip tyke.

 Hung on the wall to dry, it looks to me like the piece of chocolate cake in the foreground of the lowest panel may have to be pinker to balance the pink powdered sugar in the left hand corner of the top panel. Pink is the connecting color. I was just feeling out the colors today and the brush work. Naples Yellow is a Godsend--as is this Titan Buff that I bought once on a need for a warmer white than Titanium. I have to order some more paint.

After a few comments yesterday that said these pastry paintings are more commercial than residential, I looked at my kitchen wall decor. I've got my mom's plate collection mounted, my MIL's needle point of a Matisse (where she replaced the white in the picture with beige for God sake. What did Matisse know); and three paintings of mine and one large platter I got from Mexico. My pastries seem right at home and do not tempt me to run out to the bakery to get a piece of torte. I just like the colors and that the painting is uniquely different.

 I have thought of taking that painting down, replacing it with my mom's bagel dish and hanging the three new pastry panels over the three doors like fascia paneling. Might be cool? Certainly would be colorful. If my kitchen was bigger and I had more counter top runs, those acrylic panels would also look great in the back splash area. Practical too. Acrylics are more washable than walls. But I'm a cook. Unlike my clients, I keep a lot of utensils on the counter top. Those would have to go to keep the look simple. Ellis would be thrilled. He is not an advocate of "point of first use."

 Now you see what you started? You asked me, round about, what are you going to do with these? I'm going to finish painting them. Then maybe I'll take them down to Greek Town to the bakery where I took the reference photos and ask them if they're interested? Or I could make a list of possible commercial "homes" for these and send a brochure--also to  interior and kitchen designers. There are marketing possibilities--including over the three doors in my own kitchen. I'd put the three panels together in my dining room if I had one. Ellis and I eat around the large coffee table in the great room  (that will seat eight). And when people come over (which is hardly ever), I'm a buffet hostess. People can eat where ever they like.

Enough Fruit

Give me some vivid color in my kitchen and
something different.

I Gotta Have It NOW!

What's coconut creme pie without cadmium yellow light? Impossible.

What's a weekend without a glitch? Unusual.

 I really let my acrylics dwindle down as I stocked and explored oils the last months. I'm close to being all out of the essentials. I was forced to turn out the lights and end the session. I could have turned my attentions to the chocolate cake and the strawberry strudel, but I really wanted a piece of pie. Cadmium Yellow Light is the connector, the color that will run through these three sections. I gotta have it now!  

Coconut Creme Pie

Serving up Coconut Creme Pie, Strawberry Strudel and Chocolate Mousse Cake on the easel

A carefree day at last. I got off to a good start for the weekend. I started panel two of the trip-tyke I had started last year. These are such fun. No heavy thinking, no serious measuring of points, just color and and imagining the texture of chocolate and whipped cream and toasted coconut and wondering how am I going to pull this off? The answer was "It's Pie. Enjoy"

This is the panel that I finished first. I call it Chocolate Mice. Ellis hates it. "They're disgusting he said."
I adore it, because the idea is disgusting and that's why I took the photograph and what makes the painting fun. --And the mice themselves were delicious. They're filled with chocolate creme. There's nothing disgusting about chocolate creme. He's so straight.

The trip-tyke is going to be great. Here's my reference photograph:

I took this photograph at a Greek Bakery,  in Greek Town, in downtown Detroit
The trays weren't displayed as I have them here. This is a composite of
three photographs put together   as I see the trip-tyke hung.
Coconut Creme Pie is the lower shelf thus the change in perspective. The
top shelf looks a bit boring, but I prepped the canvas for that one, so I'm ready when I'm ready.
I'll pump it up.