When an eggplant is more than a vegetable

Abdi Haji dug through his basket of eggplants in his booth at the Capital City Public Market to find me these two luscious, deep purple beauties. With a broad smile, he told me he picked them that very morning. Abdi made the effort to find these particular vegetables once he understood my rambling explanation of using them as subjects for an oil painting.

Buying locally grown produce for my still life paintings adds an extra layer of meaning for me. Supporting local producers means keeping funds in our community and often benefits refugees. Abdi, a Somalian refugee, owns Umoja Na Uhuru World Farm and has sold produce at Boise's longstanding public market for three years.

Many refugees come to Boise through Idaho state programs, the top five countries being Iraq, Congo, Bhutan, Burma, and Somalia (see Idaho Office for Refugees for more information). An abrupt relocation often means they arrive not speaking English and with few possessions. Organizations like Global Gardens and Create Common Good offer agricultural-based programs to help refugees transition to a sustainable life here.

Announcing Daily Paintings

I create still life paintings to bring attention to the visual exquisiteness of fresh produce, the seemingly everyday objects that provide us sustenance.  I initially started with "Still Life with Attitude," my irreverent series depicting produce set up in personified and often "suggestive" manners.  I am excited to announce a new still life series of daily paintings.

We all know the adage “you are what you eat.”  I want to be art.  The implication is that by consuming beautiful, wholesome foods, you will in turn inherit this beauty in the form of health.  I purchase fruit and vegetables for my subjects grown sustainably and local to Idaho whenever possible.  If not grown locally, I select foods from producers from small farms and with a commitment to fair trade and wages.

I use 4" x 5" and 5" x 5" canvases and paint the subject in one sitting, working alla prima (wet-on-wet paint). My goal is to capture the rich color and texture of the fruit or vegetable, those traits that make it desirable to consume.  I currently use a dark gray or matte black painted wood base for the subject to help the color and texture pop off the canvas.

I will show my first batch of these small oil paintings at my March show at Flying M Coffee House.  Watch my Etsy store for these little paintings, coming soon...