Farmer’s Market Series

A few weeks ago at the Durham Farmer’s Market almost every booth had several containers of peppers of all colors, shapes, and sizes. I was drawn to the bright and clear colors of the peppers, but began noticing other beautiful patterns of fruits and vegetables on display. I love to cook, usually creating meals based on colors, textures as well as taste, and the market has been a highlight of living in North Carolina. It’s always exciting to discover what delicious, mostly organically grown items are for sale each week.

“They” say you should only paint what inspires you (and what you know), so I decided to start a series of paintings based on the Farmer’s Market visuals that draw me. Because of all that’s gone on in my life over the past five years – numerous moves for myself and parents, dealing with ailing parents and parental deaths – painting has been haphazard and inspiration fleeting or non-existant at best.

So here’s my start on Peppers.

PEPPERS watercolor

As you can see, I’ve done a light,  not too detailed drawing, and  I’m beginning to lay in color washes.  This process starts to give me a sense of how the viewer’s eye will move around the painting. The peppers were in a basket and I’m not sure whether  I’ll use the basket in my painting,  but have drawn in a hint of it at the bottom just in case.   Say tuned  – more painting stages to come !