“Eager Eve” by Brooke Figer

I find myself consumed with the details in this issue’s cover — a brilliant painting by Cleveland artist Brooke Figer. Yes, it’s just a simple picture of an apple core, but I can almost taste the crunch in the thick, textured strokes. And I really love the title of the piece, “Eager Eve,” and all the tasty subtleties that name entails.

I eat apples all the time, and many years back I got one of those apple slicing gadgets, the kind where you put it on top and push down until you end up with six perfect slices and a skinny core that gets tossed into the trash before you even take a first bite. It’s a brilliant invention, the best thing since, well, sliced bread.

OK, maybe not, but it’s still really nifty, and I use it all the time. But Brooke’s painting brings back memories of how I always used to eat apples, tearing and nibbling away bits of flavorful flesh. This is an apple devoured. I’ve been snacking on Honeycrisps the past few nights as an after-dinner treat, and I’m down to my last one. Tonight, I’m going to leave the slicer in the kitchen drawer.

This is the second piece we’ve featured from Brooke recently. Her painting titled “Pear” was featured on the front of our Pears issue last year. You can find more of her masterful work at www.brookefiger.com.