Chocolate Fondant Heart

What is an artist painting? And what do you see? Somewhere in that overlap is what the painting is. I have names for it. Painting outside of the frame. Call and response. In this ether are untold possibilities. For collectors, admirers, critics, and makers, art is supposed to live. And this is where it does. How lovely to see an apple or a pear rendered so perfectly. But look at one of Julien's recent peaches pics and you will see how his choice of placement ,confined, his choice of light, dramatic yet soft, made them more. It resonates with me. Because of his choices and my response to those. Simple. This heart is a chocolate fondant heart. I almost left it in the case because it is a heart, could be really trite.Too cute. Then I thought, no, Jim Dine. I have always loved his hearts. He used them playfully. Home it came for me to try. I like setting up a challenge. Even a "simple " one. Then before I could paint it, or when I was roughing it in, an unexpected pleasure came my way. Someone honored and touched my own heart .Talented writer that he is. Funny sometimes how it works, the muse. So I tossed Jim Dine out the window. And painted this one for JEB, an artist at heart to me.So what is an artist painting? And what do you see? A bit of the artist trying to make something personal and true. Color and line, shape and some space. A chocolate fondant heart. Made richer. And that is treasure to me.