I'm absolutely obsessed with pickles.
Not just eating them (oh but I DO), but everything about them. The satisfying pop when you open a fresh jar. That perfect crunch. The way they make everything better – burgers, sandwiches, Bloody Mary's, straight out of the jar at anytime.
So naturally, I had to paint them.
The Pickle Aesthetic
There's something so beautiful about a jar of pickles just floating there in all their vinegary, salty glory. My mouth starts watering before I even open the jar. The question: "What would you take if you were stranded on desert island".... ? Vinegar and garlic !So I could make my own pickled something or other!
I had to paint them. I went full sunshine yellow for the background because honestly? Pickles make me happy. I was hoping to capture all that chaotic pickle energy – no two cucumbers are the same and that's exactly how it should be.
I had to repaint the lid quite a few times and I am still not happy with the result, but practice practice (expect more to come!). I also had to keep going back and adding more highlights to the pickles to make them stand out more. LOTS of greens went into the pickles.
The little specks of dill and peppercorns scattered throughout? Chef's kiss. It's like confetti in pickle land.
In a loose, abstract style I hope this is as wonderfully imperfect as pickles. Why overthink it when you can just let the paint do its thing? Plus, pickles don't take themselves too seriously. They're just out here being delicious and making life better. Art should be the same way.
Trust me, this painting will make you smile every time you see it. Better stock up on pickles tho! If you are the owner of this art, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would love to see it in it's new home, drop a pic on my tik tok or FB page!
As always I want to mention my art is live at The Muskegon Market and Mercantile in Muskegon, Michigan.