Still life with persimmons

When a friend gifted me some persimmons, he kept some of the leaves with the fruit. I had told him earlier, when he brought me other fruit, and which always became subjects of paintings, that the fruit always looks more realistic with the leaves. I combined them with some oranges, to form a more linear composition. But when I brought out my silk scarf to drape as a background, the tassels were so intriguing in their form and the shadows they cast, that the bottom third of the painting acquired its own life. The pottery from Lesotho, which my husband has brought back over years when he went there, provided a bit of subdued tones to complete the grouping. I loved painting this in oils, as it brought out a richness in all the forms and textures. The final sparkles came from the silk designs on the scarf.