Did you know that organic carrots with the greens still attached are sweeter than the big chunky ones in the grocery store without tops or the little shaved ones known as baby carrots? They’re also more fun to draw. Except for the feathery greens which confused me when I tried to draw them.
And they’re even more challenging to draw when wrapped in a cellophane bag (above).
And they felt even harder because I was feeling tired, spaced out, catching a cold, and needing to go to bed. So despite really wanting to figure out how to capture the feathery greens in ink and wash, I gave up, glued the label in the book instead, and went to bed.
I’ve been sketching the several days, but have been too tired and/or too busy with or from my day job to post so now I have a bunch of catching up to do, starting with carrots.
Jana Bouc, Artist 
21 replies on “Catching up with Carrots”
Hi Jana
I think you have captured the greens very well.
I’m just off to the market, and as it is to cold to sketch outside, I may steal your idea and get some carrots to draw at home (in the warm).
I hope you get over your cold quickly.
Sue
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Thanks Sue. I popped over to see if there were any carrot sketches on your blog but none there yet. But your ink sketches are terrific! I managed to fight the cold quickly thanks to a good nights sleep and some Vitamin C. Jana
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Love the carrots, especially the way you have caught the cellophane. Hope your cold goes away quickly – nice hot carrot and coriander soup could be comforting!
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Carrot soup sounds fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever had it. And fortunately I kicked the cold before it took hold (Yay!). Jana
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Your carrots are colorful and convincing. No doubt they have all sorts of good vitamins to help you feel better soon.
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Thanks Sherry. I like that word, “convincing” — a good one to use when we’re trying to create the illusion of something from paint and pen. Jana
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Beautiful carrots! I try to eat organic as much as possible, but in Texas, or my part of…, we don’t have a lot of that sell it, or even farmer’s markets close by. I’ve never seen the organic carrots with the tops still on! In fact, my organic carrots come from California! 😀 Very interesting to know they are sweeter that way. I tried growing my own last year. Didn’t go so well: They were skinny and usually had about five fingers!
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Hah! I tried growing them once and had the same experience. A friend just told me about the difference and I tried the top on carrots for the first time and she was so right! And the tops turned out to be fun toys to play with my kitties. They loved chasing and catching the feathery greens as I swung them around. Jana
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I think you did a fine job with these carrots, including the greens. And somewhere wasn’t there a resolution to draw more and not criticize? (Or did I find that somewhere else?) At any rate, I hope you’re feeling better! Weekends are too precious to waste being sick!
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Hi Carol, Thanks for the reminder about not criticizing, just drawing and for the feel good wishes. Indeed, I fought that cold in 24 hours with some rest and vitamin C and am so enjoying the weekend and the sun that has finally come out again after weeks of rain. Jana
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I hate carrots. I like your version of them, however.
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Really? What do you hate about carrots? Interesting people’s different likes and dislikes. There aren’t too many foods I dislike and probably none that I hate although a few do make me a bit squeamish. Jana
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Your wonderful sketches made me hungry for carrots! Haven’t had any for a while as my husband doesn’t care for them. 😦
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Hmm, the second person who reports not liking carrots. I’m trying to figure out what there could possibly be to not like about them. And then I recall that before I discovered these tasty ones I wasn’t so interested in them either. So much of ordinary grocery store food is so old that it just doesn’t taste anything like the fresh produce. We’re lucky here in California that despite everything else falling apart, we still get fresh produce. Jana
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I am going out to get some organic carrots tomorrow!
Yum.
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mmmm … looks very very yummy!
You are very talented!
yasmina
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Thxs for stopping by. I’ve just posted my first carrot pic 😀 Thanks for the inspiration.
http://artofanomad.blogspot.com/2010/01/inspired-by-jana.html
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I especially liked the simplcity and composition of the first painting. I agree organic and home grown carrots taste sweeter. I have had good luck growing them in pots, even in the center with flowers mixed in around the edges. Their fronds make a great background for flowers. Also I love carrot soup – try some with ginger – lovely – as is your painting.
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Funny… my school-age son had no idea carrots had tops on them until we went to the Farmer’s Market. I guess we get so used to the packaged baby carrots. I really like your top sketch the best – maybe the colors used, or the shadows? Either way, great sketch.
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Most baby carrots are just big carrots that have been shaved down. Weird! I used to buy them too, but now I really like the ones with tops. Jana
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just wanna know how to paint a carot
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