I took a photo of these brightly colored eclairs in a fancy food shop called Fauchon on a trip to Paris in the late autumn of 2004 with my brother, Matt.
When I saw the photo in the display of the camera, my first thought was “this would make a fun painting.” Graphic, surprising, a departure – my first attempt to paint food – another of my passions!
I was challenged by the reflections, wondering if I could render them accurately. I just did what I do, I painted what I saw. I poked a hole in a piece of paper and put it over my reference image to see the true color. The reflections on the chocolate ones are actually light violet-blue. Ok, so I painted them light violet-blue.
This painting won the blue ribbon in the aqua media category at the 2007 Marin County Fair and was accepted in a juried exhibition at the newly christened Marin Museum of Contemporary Art.
may 2007 – 22″x22″ – Watercolor on paper
More Sweets
Chocolat
Who doesn't love chocolate? Beverly, an early member of my Tuesday art group, brought in these autumn-themed truffles one week. She regularly and generously shared the gorgeous and delicious chocolate truffles from Wine Country Chocolates where she worked. Everyone...
Bijoux
Usually my paintings start with taking a photo. This one started with making pastry! Cooking was my first art form. I love to cook and I love to make what I cook beautiful. I made both the tarts I've painted. In the first one, Fruit Tart, there was no green - and...
Dream
Ok, confession: there was no big idea here, no amazing inspiration, no place and time that was special. I went to Rite Aid, bought the ubiquitous candy hearts dumped them in a bowl, took a bunch of pictures and painted them. It was just for fun – and in case I ever do...
Luscious
I was in New York Ciity with my mom - a short trip late fall to see an exhibit of Joseph Raffael's paintings. Seeing his huge paintings up close was an amazing experience. It's a whole-body-experience to view them this way - especially a collection of them all at...
Jellies from Hédiard
Paris is an extraordinary city. When I have followed my desire to go there, I end up going, as if by magic. Newly separated from my first husband, I wrote in my journal I wanted to go to Paris for six months. Nine months later I was on a plane - to Paris - for six...
Sweet Trilogy
This painting came through a brainstorm. Ronn Rohe was the co-chair of the 2011 La Jolla Festival of the Arts. Ever the marketing idea man, Ronn thought to connect me with Bernard Guillas, the Executive Chef at the Marine Room restaurant in La Jolla. He suggested that...
Macarons
La Durée is a venerable Salon de Thé - tea house - in Paris. I took the photo that became this painting while on a trip there with Anne and Brad - my sister-in-law and nephew. This image has been calling to me to paint it as a companion to the éclairs from Fauchon -...
Fruit Tart
I made this tart for Father's Day dinner 2007. Then I painted it. All that lusciousness. Painting it kicked my butt! The texture of the apricot skins through glaze, apricot jam spilling over bluberries with the blue coming through orange. How was I going to...