APPLES!

 "Antique #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Honeycrisp #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Honeycrisp #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Honeycrisp #3" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Zestar #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

 "Zestar #2" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

"Sweet Tango" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

I hadn't painted an apple since about 1997.  Then about a week ago one of my friends, Caesar Citraro, asked if I'd give a short painting demonstration at a class he was teaching.  It was a cold, rainy week, so the demo painting would have to be inside.  What to paint?  

Then I realized that the Charlevoix Apple Fest was coming up fast (October 14 - 16).  Aha!  Why not paint apples?  

Compared to cupcakes, apples are a lot easier.  No pleated, paper cups, no intricate frosting swirls.  In short, apples are a JOY to paint!  I love their bright colors and shininess.

During the painting demo, another friend, Karen Kimmel, gave me a Sweet Tango apple to paint.  After the painting was done she cut it up for people to taste.  This is the first year for sweet tangoes around here.  Wow!  That's one crispy, juicy apple!  Given the choice between having $5 worth of dark chocolate and $5 worth of sweet tangoes, the apples win!

So with the arrival of new, juicier apples (such as honeycrisp, zestar and sweet tango), some of the older varieties are falling out of favor, it seems.  Another friend close by has acres of old apple trees.  They haven't been pruned or sprayed in years.  Still, they manage to produce apples.  And there are 4 apple trees on my property.  I haven't a clue what variety they are.  I don't spray them and they are covered in scabs, but once peeled, they still make a good pie.  Apples I don't know the names of I'm calling "Antique".  Stay tuned!

Striped Pumpkin

"Striped Pumpkin" -- oil on canvas -- 24x30" -- Margie Guyot

The striped pumpkin was found at Oryana, a health food store in Traverse City.  It was horribly expensive: $8!  But it was way cool.  I had to have it for a painting!  

I found the green glass owl pitcher at a resale consignment shop in Charlevoix.  I just knew it would be fun to use in a painting.  To get the bright, green glow, I painted the area in pure white paint with Liquin (to help it dry faster).  Then I gave it a thin glaze of cadmium yellow and emerald green, mixed with Liquin.  The green light seemed to bounce off a lot of things.  Even bits of the feather in front and the lighter parts of the ceramic owl planter.


One thing I really love to do in still lifes is to show reflected lights and colors.  The clear glass pumpkin was great.  It just showed everything. 


If you're familiar with my still lifes, you might recognize the green striped glass.  I've used it in a number of paintings.  And no, painting it hasn't gotten any easier!  But it's just so interesting, I have to add it. 


While setting this one up in the studio, I noticed my dying sunflowers out in front.  Decided they'd look good in this setup.  


And those apples were really starting to turn soggy!  Figured I'd use them in this painting and then give them to my chickens.  Apples are so fun to paint.  I love the colors and reflections!  I could paint apples (or any fruit or veggie) all day long. 


Usually it's overcast here along Lake Michigan.  Luckily, the sun came out yesterday and today, so I carefully watched the shadow patterns.  It's the shadow shapes and highlights that make still lifes "sing".