Dessert Watercolor Demo

Loulou et Princesse by Frederic Cassel watercolor on Etsy

So people ask me all the time,

"How come you just paint desserts?"

In David Dewey's watercolor class once a year at Christmas we would have a dessert party. Everyone brought in something or other. Then we painted them. Then we ate them. Naturally they were all good geometric shapes like Cezanne preferred - cubes, sphere, pyramids etc.

Here's a couple of my early efforts from 2000.

Naturally I'd have liked the dessert party to occur more often. Like maybe every class.

Though I'm not a big fan of cake.

It's probably another reason I came to France besides all the pets, is the beautifully geometric shapes of the pastries. And for all the endless versions of tarte citron.

Moving along to today's demo which is not a tarte citron...hmm

That will come maybe later in the week...

I'm really loving doing these thumbnails.

The picture wouldn't work without them.

Some of the watercolor demos on Etsy like this one have paintings on the back by the way.

I'm happy to have found a new envelope that's supposed to be faster and cheaper than sending out the last batch, NO TRACKING with this so I can not use it. Dommage :(
at least for this smaller size (5.5 x 8.5").
Do take a look on Etsy if you'd like to own a demo of your own. Cheers Carolg

L'orange d'abricot

Tarte Abricots Frais by Gerard Mulot by me.
 

It's the season (July - August). Gorgeous orangey-red apricots everywhere in the marche. It's my favorite childhood fruit . The color orange. These really taste intense. Ripe and ready to eat au moment. You better eat them fast. Mostly from Provence and the Rhone valée.

Coming from the pool I spotted a tarte d'abricot. It called my name.

When they packed my pastries at Frederic Cassel, the server popped in an apricot-colored hatbox full of Macarons planting a seed in my mind - I've been eating apricots nonstop since.
 

Even though it was 4pm and no one with any sense should be out in this blasted heat, I went looking for Patisserie Rollet-Pradier to get some apricot desserts to paint. I ended up at apricot-colored Metro station Duroc to change trains.

On board I was staring inappropriately at this business man’s deep apricot-colored man-purse. He clamped his hand on it protectively. I wonder if it was by Hermes? I must look like your average Metro thief, especially wearing my macaron T-shirt.
 

Rollet-Pradier was CLOSED even though the website said they were open on a Monday. OK so everyone is closed on Mondays. God only knows what I'll do in August :(
 

I passed this apricot sign in the Metro. This Anthelios XL (get the lotion) is a terrific sun screen if you're into protecting your skin.
 

You can always depend on Gerard Mulot, to be open on Mondays Pierre Hermé is also open but not big on apricots.
 

Mulot is at 76, rue de Seine, 75006 close to Odeon where you can stop in an air-conditioned movie house. I did yesterday.
 

Here's a perfect example of a mini version of the summer tarte base piled high with your 5-fruits-a-day portion. Just don't take this anywhere offsite or your 5 fruits will separate like crazy - happened to me so I know from experience.
 

I picked the fresh apricot tarte to eat at the counter in the back.

Voila. Excellent though I left the crust. That's nothing new being a non-crust eater. I need an assistant who loves crust! I got an excellent apricot macaron for company.
 

Here's your weekly DIY watercolor demo PBers. I am surrounded by apricots here. Warm shadows are dropped in first - Bt Sienna.
 

Then a touch of cool French blue on top while still wet.
 

My setup. I'm loving my new mini paintbox on the left. You can run your brush across the top and get a nice mix of yellow + red + Sienna on your brush at one go. Note the basket of apricots on the right. I'll probably turn a pleasant shade of orange sans soleil. Well I hope so. Who needs sunbeds?
I guess you could say I've got on my orange-colored glasses.