Peaches and Cream

oil on linen panel, 7x5" / unframed /sold

I enjoyed painting Peaches and Cream. The biggest and most pleasant challenge was to maintain the balance of fuzz and brilliant color on the peaches. I first painted the yellow, orange, and red. While these colors were still wet, I painted a diluted mixture of white and alizarin over the brilliant colors-I glazed the brilliant colors with a very light touch. I then removed some of the glaze with a clean brush to allow some of the brilliant colors to show.

On the left you'll notice a clump of cherries. They were painted in one mass. With some warmed alizarin and a few strategic highlights, I  made some of the cherries pop. Not every cherry was been painted to allow you, the viewer to use your imagination! My intention was also to keep the cherries a mass to call as little attention to them as possible-keeping them as part of the background so that your eyes stayed focused on the peaches.

The pitcher and yellow peach are very close in value (degree of lightness or darkness). To make the pitcher recede, I cooled the white. I warmed the yellow peach with a bit of orange added to the yellow to make it come forward. To further hold your eyes on the peach and not the pitcher, I added a highlight on the peach. Test this out by closing your eyes, and then opening them. Where did your eyes look?

To enhance your viewing pleasure of Peaches and Cream, may I suggest pairing it with my recipe, Peach Cobbler featured in my for and wellness blog.

How this painting will look framed: