Blueberries

There's nothing like the taste of a handful of freshly picked Maine blueberries! They grow wild everywhere around here and although they may be small, the flavor is more intense than any cultivated variety. It's much too early for the berries..the blossoms haven't opened yet but I imagine savoring them with my morning cereal in the middle of summer ...Oh.. and superb in a homemade cake recipe served with fresh whipped cream...yum..
I obtained permission to use the photo taken by famous photographer Saxon Holt, who's exquisite closeup of the little blue gems appears in, "The Garden Design Book", by Cheryl Merser.
Blueberries was a pivotal pastel painting because it was my first to be accepted into a national show... and I discovered how a toned background added depth and richness to my work. In this case the support is canvas board that I covered with orange acrylic paint. It was just the right color but very slippery, so I sprayed fixative between layers as the painting progressed. It took approximately two weeks to complete(my husband made me stop) and won the Merit Award in the Pastel Painters of Maine 3rd Annual National Show in Kennebunk six years ago. The size is 16 x20...Not bad for my first show!