The primaries were screaming. They needed to be quieted down. No way to do that better than to mix them all together to get their special gray. Then do the same to get a fall green--a green that doesn't jump out at you, but falls back to near silence.
My gray is a mix of all the primary and secondary colors on my palette: cadmium yellow light, dioxinine. thalo green/blue; magenta; cadmium orange; ultramarine blue; Grumbacher red or whatever a red-red is called in Golden acrylics. The gray is a gray taupe--the perfect color for an all around dress pump that I have yet to find when shoe shopping. (Bronze is the next best color to keep an eye out for ladies).
And the green? Well it is sort of sap green, but golden. Together, the two colors remind me of the camouflage our soldiers wear in the dessert. The two added, plus the red calmed down to burgundy, turned down the sound in the forest.
Though I've got music in my studio, I'm missing a cork wall. I think that would be a good feature to have to tack up reference photos and charcoal quickie sketches like "Fall's Strategic Points" for further reference while painting. Sounds simple enough for a person in my business, but unfortunately, first I would need to have the walls constructed--fir strips with paneling, or more elaborately,two-by-fours with sheetrock/drywall. I prefer the latter. I've always opted for the best and the easiest to keep clean.
Of all the photos I took of winter this winter, this one might be the best to use as a reference for winter, the painting? It has the intensity, the weight, the emotion I'm after. I did this fast sketch a couple of weeks ago just to get acquainted. I never bothered to get serious with it, for my immediate impression was that
Winter Woods would be the hardest one of the Four Seasons.
Looking at this photo, I'm thinking maybe I should do this painting now while my intense dislike of the season is fresh in my mind. In July, I might have mellowed out too much to make the painting say how I really feel about my woods striped bare with all color gone.
Well, u know how I feel about the first one.. the second one, I love the colors... go for it, paint while its fresh in your head.
ReplyDeleteACK!!! No color?! But look at all those shades of blue green and grey green, various reds and russets, straight blue and a hidden bit of hooker's green way in the distance. I LOVE winter, but then I prefer structure - line and form over color. I am one of those strange people who feel about spring and summer with the increased intensity of light the way others do about fall and winter...SAD.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you added greens in to give the eye places to rest in your painting. Great work and writing. I don't get a chance to comment as often as I ought, but you write a thoughtful and educational blog. Thanks!
GG (nanina)
Thank you Nanina. The primaries straight out of the tube can be pretty loud and obnoxious, toning them down was a must. Fall is the season where the riot of Summer color fades; I just couldn't have my Fall screaming. I'm also glad you spotted the green. While it is subtle in the painting, the photo of the painting made it even more so. Good eye.
ReplyDeleteI intend to Crissey. How long can I go on with these four anyway. I'd like to see them finished and assembled up on the wall.
ReplyDeleteas long as it takes..lol..only u will know..
ReplyDeleteNo, you'll know too. But work has stepped into play more seriously. My client bought my kitchen. Now I'll have a few days of shopping and consultations and a few months on site over-seeing the construction. Now I have mixed feelings: Yay!! And "Oh no." The will be a test for my balancing act.
ReplyDeleteYour creativity never ceases to amaze me :-)
ReplyDelete