A Peachy Market

In 2011, my husband and I visited our son who lives in China (I know, he's too far away!)  Part of our travels were in a very touristy area called Yangshuo, so we decided to explore well away from the trappings of the pervasive hawkers.  

We found an alley filled with the local colors (and smells!) of market day.  Eels and snakes slithered in small buckets, carts of live chickens prepared to cluck their last, and freshly (?) cut meat -- whose origin I did not want to know -- was fanned by languid hands to shoo away the flies.  

In all this gourmet hustle and bustle, my mouth only watered when I saw this basket of glowing peaches.  I lingered and savored the moment.

While I wanted to capture this very typical Chinese scene, my real goal in painting it was to show how enticing the sweet peaches appeared to me.  For my composition I decided to use a square format and cropped the styrofoam cooler at the left edge to lead your eye in to the painting.  I loved the triangular shape created by the cooler, baskets and vendor (echoed by her triangular hat!)

To emphasize my center of mouth-watering interest, I used complementary colors -- a neutral blue backdrop for the pinkish orange peaches.  Then I enhanced the glowing effect by keeping the edges of the peaches much softer than in the photo.  I darkened the white of the styrofoam so that it didn't command so much attention and I also lightened and simplified the area behind the young woman so that the lines of her shape would lead back to the fruit.  Ahh ... sweet, juicy peaches.

A Peachy Market, SOLD

16x16 Oil