m i s t y . p i l g r i m . f i n e . a r t

 I used to try to grow tomatoes. However, they require attention and care, something that falls by the wayside when you're trying to grow a business. Luckily, I married a gardener. He took over the whole tomato growing enterprise this year and I was flush with them. I had tomatoes every day. It was heaven. This is the last tomato from this year's crop.  It popped out late in the season and I picked it this morning and quartered it.   I had some misgivings about painting tomatoes on an orange plate, but it turned out to be a fun exercise.  

 I admit to a tiny bit of hero worship to this guy . His tiny paintings of the mundane, ordinary things in life  are a wonder to behold.  He had a daily habit of painting a small painting and his rendering are amazing. The daily painting movement is designed to do this, to increase skill in rendering and painting. There are other movements as well, such as daily drawing, etc.  As a science-y type person, I have also wondered, if I painted a little painting from start to finish every single day, would *I* get better? I've had people comment things such as, "well as least you have your mother's talent." It's worth noting that actually, I received very little instruction from my mother. In fact, she discouraged me from a career in art, for practical reasons.  Anders Ericcson says that it is deliberate practice that results in expertise, not innate ability. ( You can read more about him here. ) And thus begins the experiment.   So here is: day 1. I d...