Story behind the art of Keiko Nibu Tarver

29th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

Mutsu Apple

Malus domestica 'Mutsu'

Mutsu apple (Malus domestica 'Mutsu') is a cultivar developed in Japan. It is available in the United States, where its trade name is Crispin. When I chose a cute, small, golden green apple with its stem and leaves as a subject to paint at a one day workshop at the New York Botanical Garden, I was told that it was a Mutsu apple from an orchard in upstate New York. I was puzzled, because the Mutsu apples I knew in Japan were large and pink, each weighing a little under a pound. Then I learned that the pink color on the skin appears after it is removed from a bag and exposed to sunlight. Mutsu apples that have not been bagged have a yellowish green skin color. I loved my little Mutsu apple that might not have been bagged and the autumn leaves, whose color coordinated with the fruit.

Because the colors of the fruit and autumn leaves were very similar, I used the same base color for both. It is a mixture of Sap Green (Daniel Smith PO48, PY150, PG7) and Pyrrole Rubin (Holbein PR264). To emphasize the shining fruit, I carefully reserved the white paper for the highlight. For the reddish rust color, I lightly overlayed Hansa Yellow Medium (Daniel Smith PY 97) and Hansa Yellow Deep (Daniel Smith PY65) on top of the base color. I enjoyed painting the autumn leaves with a dry brush to emphasize their dryness and crispness. 

After I finished the whole branch, it appeared to be unstable as a composition, so I added one leaf as an anchor. Then, the total design became a triangle.

Next Story

Back to List