I do much better at painting subjects that I can't eat. The usual still life of fruit tempts me far too much. The other day I was going to paint an apple. It sat there looking so daringly red, standing at crisp attention - taunting me. I didn't even get to mix up the right shade of red when I reached for it and took a hefty bite. That was the end of that subject. This is the same reason I wasn't very successful at practicing egg tempera painting. Despite a wonderful weekend workshop learning the technique, I kept failing at it. While I am mesmerized by the glossy surface it creates, the eggs I bought never had a chance of becoming a lovely binder for the pigments. Instead, I had an omelette spree.

Botanicals and florals are a better fit for me. Plants and flowers don't look like a tempting snack. I'm surprised that at one point I actually finished a painting of a doughnut. Don't get too excited though, it was a very small painting. The subject was from Krispy Kreme no less, a decadent, chocolate-covered ring replete with colorful sugary sprinkles. That instance might have been a fluke. I haven't painted another baked good since then though I would absolutely love to have a bread or pastry series. Maybe I need to not paint from life?

So yesterday, after the guilt of eating the apple and having a dear friend ask me to show what I had been painting, I hurriedly decided to do a leaf study. I had fun splashing watercolors around. The thing about leaves is that you get to make all these tiny washes and glazes. I just love the process. And now I have something to show for yesterday's efforts.

We'll have to see next time if I can behave myself around things like lettuce.