Description
Beverley Terry and I met at the Healdsburg Art Festival which resulted in my painting her dog Icarus. Then, she came for a while to the Tuesday watercolor group to learn watercolor and painted dogs herself (photos of them are in the art journal, late 2012). She also works at Wine Country Chocolates in Sonoma. She regularly and generously shared the gorgeous and delicious chocolate truffles they make and sell there with all of us on Tuesdays. We do miss her and her fabulous wit and paintings – as well as the chocolates – now that she doesn’t come anymore!!! But when I saw the first of these truffles, I immediately thought they needed to be painted! I set them on a footed glass cake plate so the light would come through the bottom and took some photos. I started painting this earlier this spring when everyone else was painting roses and tulips but the mood just wasn’t right for rich browns. I picked it up on our summer trip to Tahoe. I was challenged to stay engaged – I’m *such* a color junkie, that all the brown wasn’t doing it for me – plus something funny was happening with the paints where the reds settled on the top of the wash, giving it an off cast – too ruddy for chocolate. Manganese blue hue to the rescue!
The other hurdle was the need for them to be smooth and I was painting in a very dry environment in the mountains where my washes were drying faster than I’m used to. This one put me through the paces! Painting all the toppings was fun – the colors and shadows – which really brought me alive and engaged with the piece – at last.
Back at home, I showed it to my mom and asked what I should call it. “Chocolat” she said thinking of the movie with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. I LOVE that movie! It’s a favorite genre – the intersection of food and the mystical. “Like Water for Chocolate” is another. Here’s where I’m suggesting this painting take you – to that place where the heavenly taste and smell of chocolate can transport us. Like no other substance on earth.
July 2013
