#cherrypie

After yesterday’s Apple Cranberry Pie Server, I got a craving for more pie.

Not just any pie, but a partially eaten with a proverbial bite taken out.

I liked the idea of cropping the composition and focusing on the most most visually captivating part of the pie. Cherry Pie is about the oozing goo that comes with eating a big piece. While I considered coming in even closer, it wasn’t clear the pie would be recognizable as pie, so I filed the concept away in my notebook for future Challenges.

The idea was to immortalize this old-fashioned lattice pie, from our favorite bakery, Rivierabake House in Ardsley. Riviera still weaves strips of crust together, unlike many commercial pies that are die-cut from a flat piece of dough.  I forgot how difficult it is to paint pie crust with its woven dough and subtle colors. In many respects, Day 18’s Apple Cranberry Pie Server was easier to paint since it’s broken up by the contrasting metal spatula.

Over time, my pie paintings have transitioned from more traditional compositions (as far back as 2003) set against a larger neutral background to more focused perspectives. You can see the progression here. What approach appeals to you? It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

When I first saw Cherry Pie this morning after finishing it last night, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with this painting. Of course, I have to control the urge to keep fixing little details, but I am learning…

I am puzzled by one thing – and that’s digital photography . The two pie paintings from the Challenge look so much better in person than in photographs, as do many of my other paintings.  This was confirmed by my daughter, Laura, who has a good eye and just came home yesterday for the weekend from Urbana, IL for a wedding.

I spent a lot of time trying to get the best image possible at various times of day, shooting at night, in the morning, with natural light, a natural spectrum lamp, incandescent light – and even a combination. Then I tried shooting these both with my iPhone and Nikon compact camera in various places – on an easel, the floor, in different rooms, and finally got the best shots I could against the Oreo Cookie brown walls of my studio. Maybe it’s time to take a digital photography course.

This whole experience shows that nothing replaces experiencing original artwork in person. Now that I’ve vented my frustration and feel better (thanks for listening!), I realize it’s time to move on.

Have a great day! See you tomorrow for Day 20.