Visual Excitement of Tomatoes

Three Amigos Morphed - 6x12 Stretched Canvas

Yesterday I had no words to describe why I was painting so many tomatoes. It might have been because it was late in the evening or it could have been that it had been several days since I had painted all those tomatoes and I had lost my first impressions. Whatever the reason, I have been asking myself questions as to why I wanted to paint them in the first place, what I wanted to say, how I wanted to say it, and what I want others to see in these simple little paintings.

There is voluptuousness and visual, excitement in the colors of vegetables and fruit! The color of tomatoes not only brings a mental image of "goodness", but a physical mouth watering sensation. I wanted to convey some of these sensations by using color, shape and values. There is a certain amount of drama when objects are placed in contrasting light and temperature. I painted the tomatoes in warm tones against a warm, neutral background with a cool white foreground establishing more depth. It doesn't matter how small the the composition, it can convey a mental story. The story may be simple - tomatoes are tasty and beautiful!