The last inch is the hardest mile. - Marian Dioguardi

I like to work in series.The market vegetable series began with my visit to the markets of Catania,Sicily. I continued the oil painting series through the summer market days here in New England. I used photos and live vegetable models for:

artichokes

cauliflowers

cucumbers

eggplants

hot peppers

lemons

oranges

pomegranates

The last painting in the series, heirloom tomatoes, was the oil painting took by far the longest to paint months after the others the heirloom tomato painting is completed. It's only 12 inches by 12 inches.

tomatoes

Painting the last in the series took discipline, patience and perseverance. This one little 12 in X 12 in oil painting took months. Some days I felt like the tomatoes were entirely lost to me. Some days, well OK, really for MANY days I avoided this painting and went on to other subjects. Occasionally I felt like "I got it". However, I really never did "get it". the painting finally finished itself without my interference . I just happen to noticed it was done.. I can't tell you why it took so long but I will tell you that it felt really good to make it to the end. Sometimes that last inch of a project feels like a mile. And so it goes.