Ice Water with Lemon by Darren Maurer

6" x 6"

My family almost always orders ice water with lemon when we are out at a restaurant. A few weeks ago we were at one of local favorites and when the ice water came I noticed how cool they looked from directly above the glass. I wanted to try a painting of an ice water from that vantage point. I love how the glass seems to rise out of the canvas toward you when viewing this painting. Something interesting to me while working this piece was how dirty, drab, and dull the color for the center of the lemon had to be before it was right. In fact, to use the term color is stretching it because the paint was a very neutral tone while on my palette. When I applied the paint to the canvas in the center of the lemon it was perfect and made the lemon look so real. I have discussed this perceived factor of color in realism painting before and I continue to be reminded of it. Lemons are yellow. I'm wrong again. Painting Sold.