Friday 26 April 2013

Grocery shopping, the artist's way


Yesterday after work, I found myself in the supermarket trying to do the shopping for next week's lunches. I was totally uninspired, circling around and around the section, trying to decide what I would want to cook. The only condition was that it had to be food that I could keep till Sunday. At one point I found myself staring at the huge variety of tomatoes. It's amazing how the choice has increased over the past few years, when there were only about two, or three at most, varieties of tomatoes available. I was especially fascinated by a big huge tomato that looked a bit like one of those pumpkins. They were ridiculously expensive, but I thought it would just be perfect to sketch and paint, and so I decided to get just the one.


The addition of the tomato still didn't solve my problem of what vegetable to get to go with the potatoes and fennels I already got. I decided to go for the good old carrot. While steering towards the big box of carrots, I remembered having seen some of those yellow ones not too long ago. Now wouldn't yellow carrots be nice to sketch too, and make a much better page in my sketchbook together with my special tomato? Yes, they had yellow carrots, and I happily made my way to the tills, having not only sorted out my lunches, but my an evening of sketchign too.


It was one of the rare sunny days yesterday, so I took the chance to take some photos of my veggies on the window sill, before sketching them. It's been quite a while since I've done some proper photography other than landscape shots while out walking, and I really enjoyed snapping my tomato and carrots from all sides (hence the slight photo overload in this post).


Then on to sketching them. I decided to use my new square watercolour sketchbook I had found recently in an art shop here (and let me tell you, sketchbooks with real watercolour paper are hard to find here). It's 25x25cm, which is a good size to work with at home, and it's square, which I always like. I made the sketches using a pencil first, then going over with a pen.


Adding colour. I really enjoyed getting out my proper, expensive watercolour paints again. I even went so far as to leave out white spaces for the highlights on the tomato, instead of going over with white gouache or a gel pen to add them later, as I usually do.



I meant to have the tomato for dinner, but it was getting a bit late, and I didn't want to use a photo as reference but the real thing for adding the colour, to get all the highlights and shadows more or less right. Photos are very useful to use for painting, but it's always nicer to have the real thing, so I ended up not having it. The sacrifices we make for the sake of art...


I haven't quite decided yet if it's finished or not, but I think I'll probably leave it as it is. And I'll have to find some more interesting vegetables or fruits to sketch. And I'm looking forward to a lovely tomato dinner when I get home tonight.

Linking this up to the delicious Paint Party Friday

23 comments:

  1. Every year here in the village, we have a French Market and they sell these amazing tomatoes! I couldn't resist picking one up either the last time I went. It's a great idea to use your veggies as things to sketch... Perfect! It makes a lovely page! :0)

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  2. These are so great, those tomatoes look so juicy, beautiful work!

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  3. really fantastic photos and your watercolor sketches are marvelous!!! I've not seen a tomato like that but you can bet I'll be looking more carefully as the tomatoes come in season :) Happy PPF!

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  4. Your pics are awesome but so are the sketches! Totally delicious! :)

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  5. wow, I thought that was a red capsicum until you said it was a tomato! I don't think I've ever seen a tomato like that before - it's amazing! We also don't have yellow carrots here although I've heard of them and even purple ones! Your photography blows me away - you have such a great eye for a shot. I love your illustrations as well - they turned out beautifully. Hope you enjoy the tomato when it comes time to eating it - it looks lush!

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  6. It adds a lot of creativity to a menu when we choose our vegetables by what nice sketches they'd make :) These are lovely photographs but I really respond to the journal paintings. It's the blend of shapes, lines and space -- such compelling compositions and beautiful shapes and colors. I hope to find a yellow carrot soon. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. Awesome photos and sketches!!
    I am such a huge fan of your blog and painted pages!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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  8. That looks like a great watercolor journal! Do you know the brand or anything? I would love to have one of that size! Art supplies here in Bavaria are hard to find, for me, period! Ugh. I pretty much have to order every thing online.

    I love the veggies you painted, and that has to be the most unique tomato I have ever seen! I can't wait to hear about how it tastes!

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  9. Wonderful art work of ordinary vegetable ~ Great ! ^_^

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  10. WOW beautiful watercolors and sketches. Very, very inspiring. Thank you for sharing

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  11. LOL! This was great! And I loved the end result. :)

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  12. I love it when you get to pull out your good watercolours as well... these are gorgeous and I love the shape of heirloom tomato... they just scream to be painted... I bought a whole heap of zucchini yesterday and have them on the table... and some podded broad beans... looking forward to getting to them... seems we are on the same vegie drawing wavelength this week...xx

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  13. how fabulous! I love the shapes & colours... and you draw and paint them so beautifully.

    Lovely work!

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  14. I loved all the photos - then I really loved the sketches. I think that is one fine tomato that you picked. Beautiful paintings and I love that lavender shadow.

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  15. Fabulous paintings of the tomato and carrots. They look good enough to eat! I hope you enjoyed your meal:)

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  16. Love them so natural and true...not the standard tomato or carrots...good job!! They look so yummy too!!
    Well done!

    Hugs Giggles

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  17. Wow ,interesting tomato,wonder what it tastes like?
    You sure have a command on that camera, everyone of those photos are gorgeous and the paintings and sketches as well!
    Thanks for sharing.

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  18. these are gorgeous watercolors! very yummy, and that tomato is amazing! so glad you had a sunny day to share these with us...happy PPF!

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  19. Wonderful still life of your veg. And the veg looks really good too...nice and fresh...Happy PPF

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  20. i love how you saw art through your market trip and then came home to paint it. beautiful. happy ppf

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  21. I love this post - love the photos; love the sketches; love the paintings! All so wonderful.
    Rinda

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  22. These unusual vegetables are very inspiring! Re they yellow carrots? Or parsnips? And what a tomato! Your sketches of them are awesome.

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