New Painting! Purple Pumpkin

Fall is in the air. Leaves are starting to change colors. The temperatures are starting to drop (not a huge fan of that part). This time of year makes me want to curl up in fluffy blankets, drink tea, and paint all things pumpkins and apples. While I’m trying to resist that urge and stay focused, I do want to show you my newest painting and share its origins before it goes to its new home later today.

Purple Pumpkin is 6″x6″ acrylic on stretched canvas. I’m so thrilled with how it came out! And it incorporates some of my favorite things – the color purple, sunflowers, and unique gourds. It gives off that perfect fall feeling.

For Purple Pumpkin, I was sifting through old photographs in my reference pile for something fall-ish to paint. Last year I had prints made while I was preparing for a solo display at one of our local libraries. I had planned on painting lots of fun new fall paintings for the show. Unfortunately life got unbearably busy as I took on a full time job in addition to my part time job and running my own business and also gearing up to open up my booth at The Shoppes at Oldies But Goodies. Most of the paintings in the pile didn’t happen at that time, but the good news is that means I have extra reference photos ready to go this year – starting with this one.

The painting is based from a picture I took years ago (circa 2014) of a fall still life I assembled. I wanted something fall to draw so I went out and bought a bunch of really neat unique gourds to set up into a still life. I combined it with a container that I had picked up at a thrift store or garage sale (I can’t remember which) and some leftover mini sunflowers. When I get the chance I like to go to both and pick up interesting objects to create art with – it gives me something unique to reference in my art and also gives something old new life.

Here’s a look at the still life and a work in progress picture of the drawing that I originally did from the objects. The drawing was pastel on pastel paper. Below is the finished piece and again framed.