Cheerful Carrots

In this current crazy world, I could not resist calling this painting “Cheerful Carrots.” I absolutely love carrots. Why? Well, their luscious color for one. But there are so many more reasons. Let me count the ways.

Counting the ways

I love carrots because they are completely crunchy! And, I love them because they are easy to grab and stash in your lunch bag. I adore carrots for the ease with which I can eat them. In fact, I learned to nosh on them quietly when living in Philadelphia from 2014 to 2018.

Why should I nosh cheerful carrots quietly? Well, if you’re listening to a lecture and sitting shoulder to shoulder with other people. Then quiet carrot noshing is in order. But now? With Social Distancing? Crunch away at those carrots and enjoy. Or if you prefer not to crunch, try this simple recipe. It’s delicious and nutritious!

Artist Notes

Let’s switch from waxing on about eating the cheerful carrots. Perhaps it’s time for me to share some notes on painting these carrots. First, this is the first still life painting I finished in my new studio! Can you see the happy person who is no longer toiling day and night on this seemingly endless project?

Hats off to this amazing man who I am lucky to call my spouse and partner in crime for the past 20 plus years. He did SO much incredible work on this space. This picture makes my heart sing.

So back to the painting! This painting is a part of a series I started in January 2020 and is entitled “Favorite Things.” I paint a small painting each week and share that image as well as other creative goodness with you, dear reader.

I did not come up with this idea for a series of weekly paintings on my own. Rather, my friend and amazing artist, Elizabeth Floyd, suggested it. Please check out her artwork, workshops, private mentorship and more.

As I settled into the studio, I let the advice from teachers and friends play in the back of my mind. I have been working with a limited palette recently. So I decided to continue to do that this week.

Color choices

So I only used five colors in this painting: Cadmium Scarlet, Cadmium Yellow, Phthalo Blue, Ivory Black and Cremnitz White. You may wonder why using a limited palette is even worth mentioning here? Welp, I went to a fantastic art school based in Philadelphia called Studio Incamminati. And, if color were a drug, this place is the color addict’s dream. We endure 7 months of charcoal, affectionately called “Charcoal Hell” in the first year. But by the spring of that first year and through the remaining three years of the Advanced Fine Art program, we are using a palette of 21 colors.

So, I think you can see why my experiment with a limited palette is challenging for me and fun. I have been amazed at the richness of color choices I am able to acquire with just 5 colors. In this particular painting, I missed a few of my favorites from the school of 21 colors. In particular, I ached for Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Green Pale and even Quinacridone Magenta. But I decided to paint on and use what I had to make this painting work.

My biggest realization is that Ivory Black is an incredible color! I used it combined with Cadmium Scarlet to create a delicious warm form and cast shadow for the carrots. I also used it to cool off the orange as it transitioned from light to dark. Ivory black also played an important role in the top background and in the warmer background of the cutting board, too.

Natural Light

The transition from a 3 foot by 6 foot space in my east facing dining room to the 10 foot by 17 foot space in our garage is a work in progress. But, the natural light in this space is absolutely incredible! Why? The softness of the shadows on still life objects is beautiful…absolutely beautiful.

I realize that I did not even have clear form shadows on the cheerful carrots. So this morning I set up a simple egg on a blue tea towel in the west facing window of the studio. OMG you should see the beautiful form shadow on that egg. Wait…you can see the form shadow on the egg in the photo below.

So, I’m wearing a jacket and hat as I painted this. The studio was 55F when I arrived this morning. But who cares!!! I have a space heater and said hat and coat kept me plenty warm while I painted. There will be some kind of heating and air conditioning system in the future. But for now, I feel incredibly fortunate to have such a beautiful space to work.

For Sale

So there you have it, dear reader. If you are interested in purchasing this sweet (and crunchy!) painting, it is for sale for $375. You can click here to get all the details. If you enjoyed reading this post, please consider signing up here to get this blog via email every week.

Cheerful

So what makes you cheerful? I would enjoy hearing all about it in the comments below. Thank you!