Melon and Grapes 2009

Mary Fedden made this painting of melon and grapes with oil on canvas. Look at how the forms are built up with simple, confident brushstrokes. You can see the hand of the artist, the way she fearlessly applies the paint, not worrying about perfection. There's a wonderful tension between flatness and depth here. The black background really pushes everything forward. It's like the fruit is floating right in front of us. The texture is smooth, almost velvety, and the colors are muted. The slight blending of the strokes really gives an atmospheric quality to the painting. The white plate is a beautiful abstract form in itself. The way the green of the melon is balanced against the purple grapes – it’s like a little color party. This piece reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes. He was a master of simplicity and quiet observation. Like Morandi, Fedden finds beauty in the everyday, elevating simple objects into something special and timeless. Art is always a conversation, right?