Little Apples

This time I went to little leftover dark apples and moved the easel farther away from the light box, so there would be more space around the forms. I tried to concentrate on what else was there: there were these electric green shadows under the apples which I didn't quite get, and also the luminous green of the cloth. The apples actually were the least compelling part of the set up. So it was interesting getting the darks down for them, sort of like exploring. One thing I have really learned on this exercise is that there are patches of grayed color on the edges of forms - I can see them now on everything. They are almost invisible, very delicate. I like this painting the best of the apples so far.

Three Apples

This is a little warm up I did this morning to get ready for the real stuff, and then the real stuff was no good, so now this one is the default real stuff - complete with raindrops because it is raining here and the photographing light is also terrible. Also, a word about apples: troublesome. Because the values change and the color changes and the temperature changes all in the same two inches, I am always a little shaken at the prospect of simplifying and getting the info down. I decided after watching my workshop artists pound through the exercises I set them and radically improve that I must do the same and just stick at it. We'll see how many it takes before I get it. The workshop and the people were fun and as usual, I learned a lot.