Berry Blast
20/September/2008
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
Groucho Marx
The above is a group shot featuring the central image from each of five paintings recently completed for General Nutrition Center stores. GNC’s ad agency proposed some in store pop/shelf talkers to draw attention to the health benefits of the different berries used in GNC products. The resulting assignment was to create a series of paintings each containing a central, oversize image of the featured berry surrounded by smaller sized berries in a curved group. This would lead to an open area for copy extolling the health promoting attributes of each fruit, (left to right- acai, goji, mangosteen, cranberry and noni), as in the noni berry piece here. I have to admit though I’m familiar enough with cranberries I’d never heard of noni or goji berries. The approach was to produce pieces that were realistic but still had a warmer, hand crafted feel as opposed to slick or too scientific style renderings. Even with the client's tight deadline requirements these were a lot of fun to paint and a nice change up from the narrative work I've been busy with lately.
Groucho Marx