As inspiring as painting is food ... and as much a part of every day life to be celebrated as it is something that we share so closely with those that are part of our lives and those that are close to our hearts ... another of my passions and much of my time is spent creating food that not only tastes great with little hidden surprises of flavour but is visually pleasing and exciting ... it is not that dissimilar to creating a working with paint ... with painting it is just a different pallete that I use.

Food is so similar ... combing each different element until it hasthat sense of balance where each flavour harmonises ... become one ... as with painting ... enough of each colour to create the overall .. beginning with an empty space, an empty canvas ... culminating in a work of art that stands on it's own. The colours and patterns of food are another source of beauty and one that is so important when eating ... we eat with our eyes first .. we appreciate a painting with our eyes first!    

An interesting moment .. painting a commission is always a very different exercise than purely painting. .  It can be great as it takes me out of my comfort zone .. always a good thing I find .. and the challenge. .. to paint a pineapple. .. a rather large pineapple! It began slowly and then a visit from my less than two year old great nephew took it in a whole new direction .. I loved his recklessness with the brush .. I followed his lines and settled  them into the painting .. It was a little dark in the studio so had no idea what it would look like in the morning but was loving the freedom of expression and happy to go with it .  The next morning .. Wow .. together we  had really taken it somewhere else .. the wonderful moments that push our boundaries and create something new ... here are four stages of the pineapple ... and in a week or so the finished painting ... which will also be available as a reproduction as soon as the finishing touches have been applied ... by me!!!