Last week’s word challenge included red and fruit. The first thing I thought of was cherries, which took me way back when I was growing up I’d pick cherries (sweet and sour) for extra money during the summer months. So many stories I could tell . . .
I decided to do a still life of cherries that I found on pmp by photographer Alina – perfect pair of cherries. These looked like “Bing” cherries so that’s what I went with in my mind as I was painting them.
The oil pastel (5×7) was painted on Mi-Teintes pastel paper a light-grey ground. I used nearly 100% Senneliers as they handle this paper wonderfully. Hope you enjoy . . . so glad to be back painting.
Oil Pastels by Mary 
They look real Mary!
Beautiful❤️
Thanks Violet!
Hi Mary, you have a great sense of depth. I love the way you’ve managed to place the object successfully on a minimalist background, and ground it using shadow. That’s hard to do. Fine work as usual.
Thank you Cheryl for your nice feedback, really appreciate it. I’m learning that less is more and in this case you’re right the shadows did ground the cherries. 5×7’s are a bit of a challenge for me to see what’s developing, perhaps because the scene is so small. I figured out that taking pictures while I’m painting lets me see the image from a different perspective. Thanks!
I always say Mary that each painting we do is another expression from our life stories, love those cherries.
So true Doron – we are so lucky in that we can process memories on canvas and enjoy our version of what was. Thank you!
They look totally real and so delicious 🙂 Annie
Thanks Annie!
A great painting, like it:)
Thank you Kerlund74!
Perfect cherries! They look so real, I can almost taste them by looking 😉 Very nice, Mary!!
Hi Calee – always appreciate your fantastic enthusiasm. Thanks so much!
Clean and lovely!
Thanks Dorann!
Simple. Delightful. Simply delightful. 🙂
Great comment – totally clever! Thank you very much!
Those cherry are amazing. They look so real and the color is great!
Thanks Francesca for your nice thoughts.
Ah, Mary, I love those cherries! !! 🙂 xx
Thanks Marina, Happy Tuesday to you!
Love the way you drew so realistically those cherries! It is a colorful & delicate fruit but becomes ever more so when attached to beautiful memories 🙂
Thanks, I’ve touched a lot of cherries in my lifetime – bruised too many, eat lots of them and filled many buckets. I made 50 cents a bucket and had a ball!
The way you describe it brings a smile to my face… there’s nothing as precious as happy memories and I’m sure that is what you’ll have in mind every time you’ll look at your picture, what a beautiful thing to do to yourself!
Enjoy it 🙂
Wonderful, Mary. I love perfect red cherries. This composition is just lovely!
Thanks Sharon for your nice comment – really does take me back many years. I can smell the orchards when I first saw the reference image, couldn’t resist this one. Thank you so much!