TSoT: Kalahari Popcorn E – Strawberries & Cream

TSoT = The Story of Trees

The phrase strawberries and cream calls to mind wonderful moments and it could make us yearn for a respite from the current situation which may be irking us. The strawberry is a delicious fruit, but we know that cream elevates any dining experience for our taste buds, so why would we not succumb to this sweet temptation? The good news is, the strawberry is part of the berry family and its impact on your insulin level is minimal, so it may be a good option for those who have to monitor blood sugar levels; heavy cream has almost no impact on blood sugar levels. Maybe strawberries and cream are the perfect dessert?

Strawberries and cream (Pen and ink, watercolour)

No wonder, that we can start making music about it. If you feel like getting lyrical about strawberries and cream let your ears hear a few compositions: Sugar, Strawberries and Cream, Strawberries and Cream, The Zap Show - Strawberries and Cream, and Can You Dream Strawberries and Cream. We can say to those we love: I love you strawberry much. You can read more strawberry puns here: 200+ Strawberry Puns That’ll Have You Jamming with Joy. If you are not so fond of the love lingo, but you are more interested in the history of the strawberry and its creamy story, please open this link: The Strawberry's History

Strawberries and cream brighten up the kitchen.

Let us move from the sweetness of strawberries and cream to the little artwork which I have here. The composition appears to be extremely cluttered at first glance, because the branches fill the sky, but there is actually enough visual resting space too. The dominant tree is visually creating a diagonal line from the top left-hand corner to the bottom right-hand corner, leaving the lower triangle almost void of tree elements. It is easy to fool the eye it seems, but when we look closer and longer, we see the wood for the trees. What I enjoy most about my creation here are those different dancing strokes and blobs around the tree trunk which suggest the presence of grass; the movement the strokes create make me smile.

Strawberries and cream inverted and on show.

In this popcorn series I am using a rather limited palette, and I am often surprised about how few elements (or colours) we actually need to convey a message successfully. A simple monochromatic line or shape can be as powerful as the line or shape covered in a myriad of colours. Years ago, when I was a student at university, I was part of an amateur art society, and we had a group show for which I entered a rather 'sombre' looking cubistic still life. One art student remarked that she could not believe how I achieved a sense of depth with such a monotone palette. Let this be something to remember: We don't need all the colours or 'gadgets' in the world to communicate successfully.

Cubistic still life study

I think, it is time to serve the dessert, and I have to say good-bye until next time. So, just in case you want to impress your guests with a home baked cake, you can find it here: Sweet & Moist Strawberry Banana Cake. Remember there is Art in your heart and strawberries and cream in moderation will definitely not damage your health or heart. (If others do not want to listen to the good advice you want to give, remember, don’t give a donkey strawberries, which means do not bother with people who will not appreciate it.)