Art and Antioxidants
Well apparently it’s been a great season for cherries, and I for one couldn’t be happier about it. I lovelovelove cherries! I love the taste, the color, the shape, the texture, the fact that they contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits and some sort of powerful inflammation reducing something or other. But I don’t indulge this love very often since the thought of paying 7 bucks a pound for anything edible (except, of course, paint) gives me hives. So this year’s generous crop means the delectable fruit has been on Major sale for much of the summer, and I’ve been suppressing inflammation in a most enjoyable way. I was even thinking about maybe painting some of the little scarlet suckers, and who knows? Maybe I will. I have in the past. But for now, above is a photo from the other day which, I think, captures some of the fruit’s best features, and below is a small gouache painting sketch from a previous season’s cherry sale. Admittedly, I’m not particularly fluent in gouache, but please afford me some slack as this one one of the first and only gouache paintings I’ve ever attempted.
about 7 x 5″
gouache on ragboard
art, vitamins and antioxidants,
-Steph
July 25, 2009 at 9:54 am
Cherries are great. They are the main ingredient to my favorite pie, which is also the name of a classic music video starring an attractive blond. But some people use them as an excuse to put a hammer or two up their rears–http://www.austriantimes.at/image/7802/news/Around_the_World/2009-07-22/14921/Heavy_metal_cure_for_constipation
July 26, 2009 at 11:10 am
thank you, Terry for sharing that fascinating article!
July 25, 2009 at 10:20 am
I have a lone cherry tree in my back yard. It never produces much. The birds raid it before I ever get anything to eat off of it. The previous home owner planted it in a shady grove. He didn’t know what he was doing. There’s also a stunted yellow apple that the bears are fond of multilating every two years or so.
I never knew how much I would come to depend on Black Cherry juice with the onset of gout. It’s the anthrocyanins in it. Cyanins must mean there’s some kind of copper in it. Here there’s a run on cherries at the grocery lately. Down to $1.99 a pound! I just hope that Knudsen’s juices price goes down a little during the winter as a result. It’s $3.99 a quart. $6.00 in the swankier parts of town. The jig is up. Everybody knows it’s natural medicine now.
Love your painting. Makes me hungry for ice cream!
July 26, 2009 at 11:11 am
would you believe they’re a buck forty nine here this week!!!!! thanks, A!
July 25, 2009 at 10:21 am
Definitely not bad for your first foray into gouache. It has kind of a Wayne Thiebaud feel, actually. Besides, I don’t know if the universe allows a master of encaustic to also be a master of gouache; it’s like Jesus marrying Parvati. In any case, I’d still like to see more! And your post kind of makes me want to listen to some Warrant.
July 26, 2009 at 11:12 am
ahaha thanks, Jason! now i wish i’d included included that Warrant vid.
July 25, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I have to try shoveling cherries down my gullet, now; my arthritic swollen thumb just might respond. I like that painting. It comes across as a delicate piece of glass.
July 26, 2009 at 11:14 am
try it! at the very least the taste will put a smile on your face. and if it doesn’t touch the thumb, you can always paint a face on it and open a finger puppet theater. you’d give thumbman a run for his money!
thanks, Tom
July 26, 2009 at 10:29 am
i want to eat that.
July 26, 2009 at 11:15 am
eehee me too!
July 27, 2009 at 1:27 pm
btw, there is a package for the d’arte board test kitchen on it’s way to you.
July 27, 2009 at 10:01 pm
ooooooooooooooh! yay!
i guess three comments deep is sometimes not enough
July 31, 2009 at 9:07 am
Me likey! Cherries are fun to paint. Gouache! You’re brave.
July 31, 2010 at 7:35 am
[...] I’ve enjoyed some amazing peaches lately. And HOTDAMN! if cherries didn’t go on sale! You know how I love cherries. Well, Jason knows anyway. I dunno. Regardless of why, this is where I’m [...]