Sugar-Coated History: Celebrating Gumdrops in Watercolor Wonders

As we flip the page to February 15th, we are greeted with a sprinkle of sugar and a dash of history—it’s National Gumdrop Day! Within the tapestry of my daily journal, I’ve used my palette to pay homage to these jewel-like treats that have brightened our lives and our taste buds since the 19th century.

Gumdrops, with their cheerful hues and sugar-dusted tops, have long been the darlings of candy bowls and board games alike. They first graced the written word in 1859, but their origin story begins even earlier. These pectin or gelatin-based candies come in a variety of flavors, from the traditional cherry, lemon, and orange, to the more adventurous lime and grape.

But it’s not just their flavors that make gumdrops special. The term itself became a term of endearment by the 1920s, and “goody, goody gumdrops” echoed as an expression of pure joy. Even the fantastical Gumdrop Mountains have a place in the sweet landscape of our collective childhoods, thanks to the classic game Candy Land.

In my painting, the gumdrops are not just candies; they are colorful subjects that tell a story—a story that is as much about texture and tone as it is about taste. So today, let us ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ not only over these sugary sculptures but also over the art that they have inspired and the stories they continue to tell.