Apple Drawing / Soft Ground Etching Combo

I had been thinking about possible backgrounds for the apple drawings when I came across an old soft ground test from an etching I'd done years ago. I decided to use the apples and the etching as design elements to create a simple composition.

I was beginning to think I'd gone off the deep end taking up a fruit drawing study after a solid year and a half of painting very heavily graphic compositions. I'm realizing the potential of using more natural, less rigid shapes to create graphic compositions. I'm pretty excited to see how this evolves!