When is a tomato a shell…or an egg?

If you have looked through the galleries on my website you may have wondered, what's with all the tomato paintings? I do like a tasty tomato, however the paintings were created for the world famous (you haven't heard of it?!) East Nashville Tomato Arts Festival, held annually on the indisputably hottest flipping day of Tennessee summer. It's crowded, hot, nutty, and loud and all in tribute of the tastily ambiguous fruit/vegetable: the red, ripe tomato.


I've had art in the show for a couple of years and what does not sell comes home to roost (or ripen:/). What am I going to do with all these wacky tomato paintings? This is what I like about working in oils…it's never really finished. Alterations are always welcome. 


I decided one day to try transforming these odd little artworks and…voila!

Now we've got a nice, glowing, beached shell and a couple of little blue eggs. How about that!


I've just finished painting my 2 tomato entries for this year…I'll post them later…and have started on more of the "Little Darlings" for the Hermitage Fall Show. I keep giving them away to all the sweet friends that house us on our trips back to Seattle/Bellingham. That's where I've been the past couple weeks (there and Florida), hence the absent blogger. One more trip next week and then I will settle into the lovely, steamy, lightning buggie Tennessee summer…sweet!!!