The good and the bad

Fruit jellies or tomatoes - which do you prefer?  Personally I prefer fruit jellies.  I ate five of of them today so that's my five-a-day covered.  Will have to stop painting food soon - getting fat.  I find it difficult to write something on my blog because sometimes I think nobody is looking - boo hoo!  I have called the tomato painting 'Sfumato Tomato'.  Sfumato was a trick developed by renaissance artists and some say Leonardo was the first to do it.  Sfumato means literally smoke and involves the blurring of edges to make the painting look more realistic - as I have attempted to do with the tomatoes in the background.  You need look no further than the Mona Lisa herself to see this technique being used very well indeed by Leonardo.  Because of photography we are used to seeing things out of focus in pictures now, but I imagine that Leonardo's audience would been amazed a wanted to reach out and touch the image.  If you are lucky enough to go and see the Mona Lisa do not reach out and touch it.  You will be arrested!  My work for the day is over and tonight I am going to see my friend Steve in his magic show.  He is very good - check out his website http://stevesmagicshow.com/