Still life set-ups inspire me because when I arrange my favorite elements in a pleasing format the possibilities seem to be endless. I love the abstract patterns and reflections of the blue goblet and the transparency of the martini glass. My plan was a casual relationship between the fruit shapes, the cloth patterns and the reflective qualities in the glass.

I chose this fabric because the colors echo the fruit and goblet. The warm, red apple contrasts with the cool reds in the glass handle. I like the pear hiding behind the goblet and he seems to peek out at the apple, which inspired the title. The shadows provide eye movement with the strong light patterns and values. I also cropped the image for a close-up, intimate view of the shapes.

I began this series many years ago and have added other favorite pieces of my glassware collection. Arranging these elements takes a little time before I take reference photographs to work from. Sometimes I will sketch from the still life and do quick thumbnails depicting the placement and colors that I hope to achieve in the painting. As I began painting and mixed the pigments, I apply them wet-in-wet and blend the colors on the paper and allow them to mix into colors that cannot be mixed on the palette.