Julian Merrow-Smith is a still-life artist living in France. He paints a small painting every day and puts it up online for a 24-hour auction. I've been following Julian's daily paintings for a couple years now. I even broke down and bought a couple originals (figs) and a couple litho's (figs). I love his work! Today's painting is of 2 figs...I love this painting and thought I'd share a master artist's rendition of a still life of figs:

http://shiftinglight.com/2010/07/figs_and_green_confit_pot.php

When he paints figs, he usually paints Noire de Caromb as his neighbor has a couple trees of this variety. Realize that his paintings are SMALL but packed full of depth and reality. Just look at how the light plays off the figs and the bowl. Look at the depth of the shadows, beautiful!  A true artist. I love his work.

Sue

How beautiful!!! Breathtaking texture!

Thank you for sharing!  I think I found prints for my breakfast nook!

...and yet another one...

http://shiftinglight.com/2010/07/nature_morte_aux_figues_et_faisselle.php

Sue

http://shiftinglight.com/2010/07/nature_morte_aux_figues_et_vieux_pot_a_graisse.php

Must be fig season in France. ;-)

Sue

I thought someone might like this one too. Even though it is not nearly as the paintings by Julian.

http://www.surlatable.com/product/fig+ornament.do?keyword=ornament&sortby=ourPicks

But it looks upside down to me, but that might just be me.

It IS upside down!  How could they do that to us!!!!!  :(  That is a cute idea, but it would bother me.  Probably wouldn't bother other people.

noss

Well now, that depends on one's perspective! :-) When I eat fresh figs I split the fig in half at the ostiole with my thumbs. What ends up in each hand is a view of the fig as the ornament shows. It's just a freshly opened fig, ready for that first bite.
Sue

Hi Sue,

You're definitely right about that.  When I eat a fig, I hold it by the stem, which puts the fig upside down, but when I see a fig hanging on the tree and it's ripe and ready to eat, it's hanging with the eye facing downward and if it's going to hang on the Christmas tree, I'd like it to hang the other way.  :)

However---you don't usually see just half a fig hanging on the tree---On second thought, after the birds get ahold of them, there's often even less left hanging on the tree, so I still gotta get me summa those ornaments.....

nhardy, thanks for posting the site for the ornament!  :)))))))))))))


noss

Thanks, Sue!  How small are those paintings?  I'm an artist also, and realism takes a long time to accomplish...many layers.  Is his medium oil or acrylic?  Acrylic would not take as long!  Are  they on canvas or masonite boards?  I'd like to see one he's painted on the inside with all those juicy seeds!! 

Just curious.....

I've had one ripe fig on my only bearing tree, and am waiting for the rest!
Thanks!
Suzi

Hi Suzi,
Julian's paintings are oil, on boards and are 3"-4" to 6"-8" in size. That's what makes them so amazing, the depth of color and realism he gets in such a small space. Attached are a couple open fig paintings of his.
Sue