The pride of my parent's fall garden is their turnips.  They have grown them annually for over 30 years.  It was mid-day at their garden in late November, and I was feeling fortunate that the turnips had not yet frozen.  I harvested a half-dozen, and noticing their raw beauty, I immediately envisioned a still-life.  I placed them on the garden ground, arranged them in a painterly fashion, and captured the image in my mind.  As they were freshly pulled, the dirt clinging to the turnips was still moist.  Even at mid-day, the sun was at a very low angle, and the shadow cast by the turnips was long. 

My goal for this painting was to convey my response to these turnips.  Turnips are the consumate root crop.  To portray this earthy nature, I utilized predominantly sedimentary watercolors for the painting.  I also thought it essential to capture the sense that they were freshly pulled.  To showcase this aspect, I reserved the darkest value in the painting for the damp dirt clinging to the underside of the turnips.