Low hanging fruit

A different approach to my oil painting, this work is done on primed mdf board. (What does mdf stand for – I have no idea, but it is a smooth surfaced composite board.) A friend gave me a recipe for a base coat to use instead of gesso – this is a mix of whiting (no idea exactly what that is either, but it is an inexpensive white powder bought from hardware stores, I think you can whiten your tennis shoes with it) and neutral toned acrylic paint. A few coats of this, well sanded between applications gives a lovely working surface, not as intrusive as working on white gesso. The original inspiration for the image came from a tiny scrap from a gardening magazine, which has taken on its own life. So, another don’t know, this time what the fruit may be, but I don’t think it really matters. It is 30 x 30 cm.

hanging_fruit_web

Author: anna warren portfolio

I draw, I paint, I am a printmaker. Always searching for the interesting detail in the world around me.

42 thoughts

    1. Thank you Julie! The colours are a bit different for me, although using my usual palette of seven colours. I think the warm neutral of the base colour definitely influenced the result, taking the colours into a softer, more tertiary area. Fruit can be seductive can’t it?!

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  8. It doesn’t matter at all what kind of fruit this is, it’s universal fruit, if you will. I’m drawn in by the subtle color and shadow, the glow of light. Beautiful!

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  9. How fascinating I had my comment in my mind as i scrolled down here Anna and it kind of fits in with Julies comment above *seductive … I was immediately thrown into thinking of Christina Rossetti’s poem Goblin Market of which I’m sure you will be familiar .
    And you are so right, it really matters not a jot what the fruit may be 🙂
    Another lovely art work piece , I’ve so enjoyed my catch up time here on your blog !

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    1. Ah, Christina Rosetti! Of course, I can see exactly what you mean. Her poems had that lush descriptive feel that I am trying to get in this painting. Poppy, you always know where I am going! It’s very good to have you back, I have missed your comments and your posts – looking forward to your collaboration with Chillbrook!

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  10. Ohhh, so lovely! I feel the glow coming through the front leaf. I agree with Karen, you need to produce several more and create a set. Keep it coming!

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  14. Mmmm….mango! Or at least that’s what it looks like to me, having seen them grow in reality up in Kununurra, the Kimberley. I love the glow of the green on what I presume would a leaf and, interestingly, Anna, the extract you’ve decided to paint I would regard, as a photographer, to be a rather messy image and not bother to photograph it; yet, as a painting, I like it very much! Indeed.

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    1. Thanks Janina – you could be right, it may be a mango, but on the other hand it may have been a tiny berry, blown up large! The actual object didn’t interest me really, its more about the form. Such an interesting comment from a photographer’s point of view – we must look for something different in a composition, which is good I think!

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  17. lush and ready for picking – beautiful – funny I saw something like these fruit last night being grown in north queensland – it could be an ‘achacha’ not that it really matters! it really does glow.

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