inspiration in unexpected places

store front with suspended cocktail umbrellas

I've been tweeting a lot lately.  As a result, I've been taking my camera (an older elph SD1000) with me when I go out.  Today it came along on a trip to IKEA to buy bedside lamps and then to the MOA (Mall of America) to beat the heat and check out our usual circuit (bookstore, food court (I pack my own lunch,) electronics store and people watching as we walk about.)   That's when I saw this storefront, had a bit of an "Aha" moment and took the photo above.

 I've painted cocktail umbrellas before but only conventionally - in still lifes with surfaces and shadows.  They're lovely when painted that way - with their shadows taking on the colors of their shades.

In case you're curious, here's the nutritarian lunch I packed:

lunch on the go: purple cabbage, red pepper, yellow onion, tomato paste, chick peas, raw sunflower seeds, steamed mushrooms, pear vinegar and broccoli
 

I saw a call for art today that addresses food politics.  After following a nutritarian lifestyle now for over a year, the issues of bringing food to our global table are starting to take root in my mind as possible paintings.  I'm happy to see there's interest in the art world for these concerns.

 

inspiration all around us - food for thought