My brother said of my paintings, “your color choices are certainly unusual” — I guess they are —

inspired by Annie O’Brian Gonzales

Other artists’ colorful paintings are such inspirations, even if I am missing some of their intensity. 

Getting the colors right is complicated because color is complicated. 

Once upon a time, I made a color chart with watercolors to learn some of color’s mysteries . . . now I use a color wheel. It’s still hard! 

Maybe because of  my blooming cataracts, which are not ripe.  UGH.  

However, the study of color and how to get it to look right requires more time than I have. 

So, I forge ahead . . . trying to replicate those unusual color choices . . . and learning from other artists how little I know of so much I took for granted.

Copying opens your eyes to new possibilities, and new techniques… but trying to fob it off as your own is quite another matter. (Louise Bunn)

Other people’s paintings are my “muses” because painting  en plein air is frustrating. Every time I get the right shade of color, the light and shadows  change it,

By the way, looking  at the spring’s fresh color palette, I see God is a mighty fine mixer of color beauty. See the background for the Dupont quote:

For that matter, so do  the warmer shades of summer and chilly flashes of autumnal colors; not to mention  winter’s gray palette. 

Summer’s Sunflowers

Autumn

Winter Whites ~ Photo by Arch VanDevender

Color did not evolve: my absolute for the week.

Anyway:

Only God creates. The rest of us just copy. (Michelangelo)

He would know, right?

Solving how to get the right color on the canvas —given the growing opaqueness in my mature eyes — is only one problem — creating its shadow is as complicated.  

Anything light in a painting needs a lot of dark. It doesn’t matter what color my light is either . . . How do I make it shine? 

Adding Payne’s Gray, lamp post black acrylic or Titanium white isn’t always the answer

Lest I put too fine a point on it, Arlo Guthrie  summed it up: 

You can’t have a light without a dark to stick it in.  

 So, relying on others who have mastered where light is what I do: another reason maybe for my unusual color palettes!

If you can see it, and if you know your color, you can paint it. (Nelson Shanks*)  

My Photo of Sunrise over Spa Creek — Maybe I’d start with a BLACK canvas?

• *Who is Nelson Shanks? 

PS: Here’s a link to Paintings from the Porch