STORY BEHIND THE ART OF DEB CHIRNSIDE

20th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists & The Horticultural Society of New York

Queen Garnet plums

Prunus salicina 'Queen Garnet’

My subject is the Queen Garnet plum, a new variety that was developed by the Queensland Government in Australia. This new breed of plum is being touted as a ‘superfood’ that could help tackle obesity, heart disease and dementia. The secret to the Queen Garnet plum is its very high anthocyanin content, naturally occurring compounds that give fruit its purple /blue color. It makes strawberries red, blueberries blue, or in this case, plums deep purple. These plums also have about 3-6 times the antioxidant content of blueberries. Indeed, a superfood if this is all true.

I was immediately attracted to this subject because of its round voluptuous form and the intensity of its deep purple color. I approached the subject in my usual manner, drawing, masking and then applying thin translucent color to create its form. Almost like a tonal drawing. After this many layers were applied to develop the intensity of the color, finishing with dry brushwork to create a glow. When I felt that the color was strong enough I applied gouache to some areas to give the appearance of a bloom on the skin that is typical of plums and some other fruits.

I feel the painting looks delicious but, unfortunately, the time involved to create this artwork meant that the fruit was past its best by the time I finished, therefore I never got to taste them. As it is a seasonal fruit I will look forward to next year’s crop.

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Read more about this artist’s work: 19th Annual International