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"Around The Apple Tree," July/August Apples, Blog #3

8/29/2020 7:44:23 PM

"Around The Apple Tree" July/August Apples, Blog #3

Individual Artist Commission Grant to paint a life size apple tree. This project is made possible by the Decentralization Program,

a regrant program of the New York State Council On The Arts with the support of the Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York Legislature and administration by the Arts Center Of The Capital Region.

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Wow, the summer has flown by. That usually means I have been very busy, even during this pandemic!

The hours fly when I am painting. I have been trying to spend as much time outside as possible. I know it is going to be a long winter but I am also looking forward to the transition to working in my studio.

I have continued observing my magnificent muse, watching and recording the blooms as they turn into tiny apples. When I sketched the apples in July, the apples were about the same size as the leaves, around one to two inches.

"Around The Apple Tre," July Apple Study

Pastel on Paper, 15" x 11"

When I returned in August, the apples had grown but were still small in comparison to commercial apples. The tree I am observing has grown untended, not being pruned or sprayed in many years. Another reason that the apples weren't larger could be due to the lack of rain in June and July. The tree's yellow leaves also showed its stress. My big surprise was that the apples were still all green! A neighboring tree was a different variety and had red apples, but not my beloved apple tree. I know everyone expects red apples just as I had. As much as I wanted red apples on the tree, I was also concerned about the tree looking polk-a-dotted. I decided now was the opportunity to see how those red apples would look all over the tree. After carefully observing the apples on the neighboring tree, I realized they weren't all red so I could be more conservative in the usage of red. I was happy with the results. I think it will work just fine on a large scale.

"Around The Apple Tree," August Tree Study

Pastel on Paper, 14" x 17"

As I continue to sketch, we are clearing space in our barn to start painting this twelve foot tree. I am so excited about painting this large and to have a large enough space to work. I will have to get going and dedicate most of my time to this project until it gets too cold. In the mean time, I am still gathering up donated materials. Enjoy the attached video filmed at GNH Lumber and Home Center in Greenville New York.