Food for Thought

Before this painting, my work was typically impressionistic with some realism mixed in. I was invited to participate in a themed exhibition by my art group a few years ago. The theme was food for thought and I had nothing. I have always been interested in nutrition and food as medicine so I gathered foods that are good for the brain and created a composition. It had the feel of the old masters with the dark background yet felt contemporary. I got caught up in doing detail like I never had before. I was one of those people who said, "Just take a picture." Oh, but I was hooked. I understood the challenge of creating realist textures with flat paint, reflection, liquids, etc. I went on to create several hyperrealistic works but this was the first… and I still try to eat this way.