One potato, two potato
Every once in a while I see a picture and wish I could paint like that. Actually that's not true. I Wish I had painted that actual piece. 'The secret life of potatoes' by Lidiya Douknevitch is one such marvel. I just love it. And I am not the only one as it has - most deservedly - won the Joyce Cuming Presentation Award at the SBA Plantae 2019 exhibition. I will not be at all surprised if it also wins public favourite as well (...no prizes though, for guessing which painting I voted for...) There are all sorts of wonderful things about this piece; it is absolutely bursting with life and energy, such brilliant balance and counterpointing of colour and textural contrast. The shrivelling bodies of the potatoes are handled really expressively. This is unusual in botanical work, but a perfect choice here, making us really feel the life leaching out of the 'parent spud' and into those smooth, fat, glowing baby taters. And even more unusual, it's FUN - those t