Fresh Picks for Inspiration

Ah, summer Farmers Markets: an endless source of inspiration. For most people that probably means fresh ideas for healthy meals featuring local ingredients. For me, it's also about capturing colors and textures on canvas... rather than on a plate!

Purple Peppers ©2014 Dorothy Lorenze (8x10" oil on linen)

These peppers were so strikingly beautiful, I couldn't wait to paint them. Their rich, plumy, purple is striated with a delicate, celery green. Since those colors are basically opposites on the color wheel it was an interesting exercise to delicately blend without making mud. I'm slowly learning to mix more subtle gradations of hue and value to find the right color. It's a little like "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"...this little pepper is too purple...! With patience, it should eventually be "just right."

Value is as important as hue and often more difficult to pin down. The grey-blue of reflected light on the shadow side of the pepper is a good example because I kept wanting it to be lighter than it really was. But I think it's working now.

Fortunately, my models were cool about my slow learning curve. They chilled in the refrigerator during painting breaks and remained fresh and glossy for the entire week it took to finish this painting.

Purple Peppers is one of several fresh produce paintings that will be included in my exhibit in the Main House Gallery at Muscoot Farm throughout September. The Gallery is open from 12-4, Saturday and Sundays only. My work will be for sale, weekends, from September 6th thru 28th.

Thanks for joining me on this painting journey.