Apple Peddler

Apple Peddler is a memory of mine, come alive on the canvas. When I was a teen in England, I had a weekend job with the local grocer who grew most of the food that he sold. In the fall, we’d drive out to his orchard and collect the apples to stock the store. Look closely at the background and you’ll see an abstract leaf pattern. I started with a vivid green and then toned it down until I reached an effect evocative of a sunny-but-crisp autumn day. I positioned my lighting close-in from the lower left to achieve these theatrical shadows that balance the background with the rest of the piece.