Shot Of Convos 2

Shot of Convos 2

6x6, soft pastel

I suspected the previous one might sell quickly and I needed to make sure I had one of these at home  (cuz I like it so much) so I thought I’d paint it again and give it a bit more of a polished look. Believe it or not, I still have these little conversation heart candies. They’re one still life prop that hasn’t been eaten...yet. 😋

Shot of Convos

Shot of Convos

6x6, soft pastel

What the heck?  BAE...YAAAS...I actually had to google these terms (and others) when I went to paint this still life. I understand “text me” even “lets hang” but I had no idea these traditional candies had kept up with the times better than I have!

A bit of background: In 1866 Oliver Chase, a Boston pharmacist, invented a way to print vegetable dye “conversations” on individual candy pieces.  By1902 he began creating heart shaped candies with conversation quips on them which became very popular near Valentines Day.  If you’re familiar with them (and who isn’t) you know the messages...”kiss me, be mine, all mine, first kiss, best day, love you, dear heart”...etc. etc. These were the same messages as far back as I can remember. And (for now at least) I can remember them 60 years ago...or thereabouts. 

In any event...I got quite a chuckle out of the new conversation candies and was heartened to see that my beloved “xoxo” is still in print!   Enjoy!

P.S. This piece was a bugger!  Imperfections in the paper caused me to redo the background several times.  The background is now purple but doesn’t show up really well in the image above. Oh well, I’ve made it to Day 14. 😊

Shot of Chocolate

Shot of Chocolate

6x6, soft pastel

It’s fun to paint food...especially sweets. This is the first version of this still life and the second will be a bit more detailed.  I’m enjoying painting a still life loosely and again with more detail.  It’s an interesting process...and I’m always learning something new about my subjects.

Love At First Sight

Love At First Sight

6x6, oil on board

Day 29 of 30....Once again I found a really good reason to by a sweet treat at the grocery store.  After all, finding just the right prop is critical for a good painting.  It was all for the sake of art.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  This little guy was gone before the painting was even finished.  

WIP:   I started with a drawing of an earlier oil painting I did of this scene.  Then I began washing the pastel underpainting down with alcohol when I noticed the initial drawing wasn't right....so, back to the proverbial drawing board for this one!  I wasn't paying too much attention...just playing around.  Oh well...live and learn, and learn, and learn!