693 Golden Nuggets

The golden tomatoes are from Springdale Farm and the red bowl is from the museum in Lebanon.  Basil is from my yard.

"693 Golden Nuggets"
acrylic - 6x8 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/693-golden-nuggets/413743

622. Sunset Trail, Veering Right

Despite the humidity, the rain, and the intense allergy conditions, I am mentally back in Door County on the Sunset Trail.  Here is another scene, this time painted with acrylics, and fyi, I'm not asking my husband's opinion today after yesterday's response.  hmpff.  I wonder which scene and medium you prefer.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/622-sunset-trail-veering-right/387705

612 Aubergine

The little Indian eggplants still interest me.  I love their color, shape and sizes.  Unfortunately, by the time I finish with them, they may be past their prime of freshness.  Maybe I will make baba ghanouj with them tomorrow. 

"612 Aubergine"
acrylic - 6x8 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/612-aubrgine/374772

611 Indian Eggplant

I found these small eggplants at a grocery store in Chicago and couldn't resist their beautiful color and size, conveniently fitting in a blue bowl.  I tried to research why they are called Indian eggplant, but found no good answer.  In India and some other countries, eggplant are called brinjal and is widely used in Indian cuisine.  I thought it was interesting to note that so many cultures have popular eggplant dishes--Greek and Turkish moussakka, French ratatouille,  Italian eggplant parmesan, Arabic baba ghanough.  My mother-in-law made the world's best eggplant parmesan.

I also thought this was interesting information from Wikipedia: "Botanically classified as a berry, the fruit contains numerous small, soft seeds which, though edible, taste bitter because, as a relative of tobacco, they contain nicotinoid alkaloids."  hmmm....

599 Bringing Spring Inside

I am still wearing earmuffs, scarf and gloves.  Pansies are not yet planted out in the garden. (sigh)

583 New Mama

We have a new family in our neighborhood and I am over the moon smitten by them.  I visit them many times each day and take photos with my 20x zoom lensed camera.  Mom and Dad have two or three kids.  They are Great Horned Owls and the babies have just recently become visible.  The babies are SO adorable---like little puffs of cotton with perfectly round eyes and little hooked beaks.  Did you know that what look like ears are not really ears at all?  (I hope I got that correct.)   We find feathers, squirrel tails and tufts of fur throughout the neighborhood, and everyone is hoping they keep the rabbit population at bay this summer. 

581 Door County Sunset

I thought I'd take a little break from the grey winter skies and seas and paint from a reference photo taken last Fall in Door County, Wisconsin where the sunsets are spectacular.  There is a particular restaurant, Buster something or other, where tables are set outside for all to witness the breathtaking views. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/581-door-county-sunset/365578

579 So Happy Together

Still working on the greys so prevalent on a dreary winter day, as this was.  These two swans were so beautiful.  The photo reference was taken on the back roads of Plymouth, Massachusetts. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/579-so-happy-together/364971

564 Misunderstanding

I

Yikes.  I just realized I painted this once before, but I thought I was painting a different view.  I guess you can paint the same thing several times and the paintings will never be exactly the same.
To me, the onions look like they are at odds, perhaps there was a misunderstanding. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/564-misunderstanding/348639

557 Overcrowded

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/557-overcrowded/336622

556 Beauty Pageant

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/556-beauty-pageant/336375

552 At Attention

I put off painting asparagus but it seemed to be the only vegetable we had around that I hadn't painted.    It was a little challenging, but I would like to try again.  This is a new blue bowl, the smallest of them all.  My husband named this painting. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/552-at-attention/335114

546 Hanging Out Together

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/546-hanging-out-together/332353

545 Cultured

In this blog post, on my monitor, the colors of the onions look a little too purple.  They are more subtle than appears here.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/545-cultured/331848

544 Simply Divine

It took me all day to think of the right title for this painting.  I had many perfect titles, but all had been previously used for other paintings.  I woke up from a little catnap and this one hit me!

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/544-simply-divine/331523

540 Mixed Company

This is most likely the end of the Meyer lemons.  I like the combination of the limes with the lemons in my favorite bowl.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/540-mixed-company/330377

539 Stealing the Show

My garden club held it's annual Chinese Tea Tasting on Saturday with 80 people attending.  Our centerpieces for the tables included a moss ball with jade plant, rocks, and a single cymbidium orchid.  Each stem of the orchid has approximately 15-20 flowers, which are exquisite.  I am enjoying the few that didn't sell and couldn't resist placing one in my still life.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/539-stealing-the-show/330111

536 Meyer Lemons

The other day, I was at our local grocery store, and as usual, I spent a lot of time in the produce department.  I must have looked suspicious, because as I was slowly and carefully looking for the perfect vegetables/fruit, the produce manager approached me:
She asked,  "Can I HELP you?"
I replied, "No, but thank you."
She, "Did you have any questions?"
My reply, "Nope."

I have never tasted a Meyer lemon, but I was curious about them, so I bought a package.  I learned from an internet site that they are thought to be a cross between either a Eureka or Lisbon lemon and a mandarin orange, and they take on a sightly yellow-orange color.  The skin seems to be much thinner than a common lemon or orange.  They are supposedly sweeter than a lemon, and often used to make lemon pies.  My mother used to make a highly coveted lemon meringue pie.  I wonder if she used Meyer Lemons. Sadly all of her recipes are gone.

p.s.  The blue in this bowl is not screaming as it appears in this picture.

535 On the Edge

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/535-on-the-edge/327286

531 Palette Knives on an Ampersand Hardbord

I have missed my regular routine, but travel and household projects have prevented me from painting.  I don't like looking at all the paintings on Daily Paintworks each morning when NOT seeing one of mine.  It felt good today to paint this still life, even though all the shadows and reflections were a challenge.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/531-palette-knives-on-an-ampersand-hardbord/313929