Tropical Peaches

Original Sold

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One summer early in my painting life, as fruit started ripening on trees in the gardens of loved ones, I couldn’t wait to get out with my camera – I had a hankering to paint stone fruit. When I got a call from my sister-in-law Annie, telling me their peaches were really ripening and I’d better get over before they all got picked, I high-tailed it over there.

It was mid-morning; the tree was blasted with sunshine. I climbed up on Anne’s husband Gary’s ladder, completely entering the peach-tree-world, heavy fruit and curved leaves hanging all around me. The streaks of light I saw in one image in the digital camera viewer stopped the action. No doubt this was the one to be painted.

It was a challenge to represent the light and still portray the shapes and shadings of the fruit and leaves. Painting volume requires light to illumiate the subject in a certain way in order to reveal form in three dimensions. The diagonal light made this tricky.

Most of this painting was done while we were on Kauai the following October. It appears Kauai worked her magic through my brushes and me with the colors and light. The painting ended up with a tropical vibe. I love the blues and purples – and the intricate design that the tree and the light provided. Pattern, shape and color carried the day with this one – and it was fun to paint.

Isn’t that a perfect pruning cut in the lower left-center? Thanks, Gary for growing and tending such an amazing garden.

November 2007 – 22″x30″ – Watercolor on paper