Purple Plate, Golden Canvas, Part 2

After making the purple risotto, I decided to paint the golden beets. In a fairly quick afternoon, I managed to fill a canvas:


I want to use the word "whimsical" to describe the motion of the brush strokes and carefree feeling I had while painting. This work also feels less heavy than some of my other paintings; the textures are not as layered and the paint is relatively thin. I could not get away from my tendency toward realism, although I did try not to muffle or mute the orange and yellow. I have been thinking about belief/unbelief recently, and what is possible when we are willing to look beyond our perceived limitations.

I will note that I used a canvas that I had previously embellished with some swirling stitches for texture, and I think this adds to the upward movement and overall lightness of the piece. I altered this canvas several years ago, during another spring following a particularly depressing winter. So I feel that a certain amount of circularity is embedded in this small painting, both in the swirling movement and in my personal history. I realize that the stitches add a certain amount of craftiness. Let it be known that I am not ashamed to be a bit of a crafter; folk art and collage have always held a certain appeal for me.

Perhaps one of the reasons I was so inspired by these orange beets is related to the colors in my dining room. I'm almost embarrassed to show you this:

I've been coaxed to finish up with the beets, so that we can move on to the next Vegetable of the Month: Cabbage. I'd like to ease us into this transition with a nod to The Weekly Veggie: "Golden Beets. Better than Cabbage."