Sherbet

10 x 10" original oil

sold

The word 'sherbet' makes me snicker. It sounds like 'ribbit' and that is another word that makes me snicker. Some words just sound funny, ok? HOWEVER - there is a wonderful, beautiful thing about actual sherbet that comes alive when the weather gets hot, and that is seeing a pile of it in a cold bowl with a gleaming silver spoon. Raspberry and orange sherbet are excellent together, and such a bright color. This painting has yummy, bright color, and I like to think that if I was to eat this painting, it would taste like raspberry and orange sherbet. Thanks to my friends for helping me see this and coming up with the title. 

The hardest part of this painting was just focusing. I have my irons in so many fires right now. I am grateful to be very busy with paintings, commissions, and shows. I like my busy times to be balanced with 'nothing times' - days when I do nothing but maybe read a book and make a nice dinner. Everybody needs a 'nothing day' to remind us how nice it is to have work at the same time it is to have relaxation. 

I remember where I was last spring when I shot the photograph for this painting. These tulips were growing in a large bed near the Water Tower Plaza parking lot at Thanksgiving Point. The sun was setting and I popped by to see if I could find any paintings in the season's remaining tulips. I got this great photo but the next few days were so hot - the next time I saw all of these tulips they were all spent and wilting. I love it when I'm able to catch them while they're beautiful and make them last, and I love selling them to collectors who appreciate the same thing!

The best part about doing this painting was the variety of reds! I used quinacridone red, translucent magenta, cadmium red, napthol red, quinacridone violet, another purple that's new that I don't recall the name, and cadmium orange to name a few. Color is so dynamite in backlit tulips, especially these deep-hued ones! I love it. Mmm. I'm telling you, I just want to eat this painting. Time to put sherbet on the grocery list!

Editor's Note June 2013: I sold this painting this morning, and it makes me so happy to meet new art collectors and send my work home with them as they begin or add to their own collection of Cristall Harper originals. Many thanks, and come back again!