Study in Cherries and Crystal

A watercolor on 10.5"x14" 300b cp paper

Cherries flirting with Green

9"X14" watercolor on 300lb cp paper.  This painting over time evolved from a simple bowl of cherries with reflections.  The cherries in crystal is from a photo on "idrawandpaint" for the Feb. watercolor challenge.  I finished the challenge, but did not like the dark background in the photo.  So...I painted New Gamboge into the background and the red in the cherries popped...Now, I had the focal point i.e.(Cherries) floating in a sea of yellow.  So, add a table, that I did.  Very light touch, because I already put the reflection in and moving the yellow paint across the painted red cherries without disturbing it.  That done added a little burnt sienna and purple for the darks.  Then for a last applause I threw in a green towel to complement the red...

A Study of Cherries

I did this from my imagination.  I've never painted cherries and it has been awhile since I painted a still life. My colors were Holbeins peacock blue and indian yellow with rose madder.  I charged the shadows with a dark mauve and burnt sienna.  Cherries always remind me of the spring when I picked them as a teenager for a local farmer.  He would hire the neighborhood kids to finish off the pickings after the pickers left.  We made $7.50 a lug and of course, I ate most of the profit, they were bing cherries, yum.  What an overkill,  you will not see me eating cherries today.....lol