Sunday, May 10, 2015

New Work: Linked

Linked
acrylic on wc paper 12" x 16" image size-available

close up for texture marks
What started out as an experiment in balancing shapes and values turned into some ideas about color placement and relatedness, for lack of better terms. For this piece I had a certain feeling in mind first of all, and so I worked on that through color. Good. Then, as I was working on color I got to thinking about how all colors are mixtures of other colors. I also considered how primary colors which are single pigments have underlying color tendencies. As an example, the color red can lean towards blue (purple). It can also lean towards yellow (orange).  Many mixtures have a common primary base color too. Greens, (made up of blue and yellow), and oranges, (made up of yellow and red) both contain  yellow, a common primary base color.

So, long story short, the above painting "contains" my ideas about the color yellow that I used (which leans towards green) and the greens that I mixed (leaning towards yellow or blue) and the blues that I used (leaning towards red or purple). How would the underlying color tendencies of those single pigments and mixtures relate to each other and then how would the colors placed next to each other look? If my yellow was next to that violet blue would it appear to be more of an orange yellow? Could my yellow greens make the yellow seem more green or more yellow? How would the warmer greens do with the violet blues? This is probably one of the first times I have become consciously aware of color temperature (which to me means underlying primary color as well as a temperature feeling) and placement of colors next to each other for influence. I certainly consider temperature when painting but am not sure that I actively and consciously try to manipulate the feeling of it. I can't say I have a handle on it but it has me thinking.

Happy Mothers Day to everyone! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Libby

4 comments:

  1. Hi Libby,
    Wondered if this one was based on a particular location that you know. I do think the textural aspects contribute very much to this piece.

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  2. Very nice experiment on color and shapes! As I thought about your discussion of warmth and coolness I thought that perhaps sometimes the warmth and coolness may depend also on other elements in the composition but then thought a warm composition made with cool colors probably doesn't make the color any warmer but may add some interesting contrast of a cool color in a warm composition. Good stuff to experiment and think about and I like your composition.

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  3. Interesting post. Neat painting. I agree -temperature is important.

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  4. I really admire and appreciate your approach to the science of art making. Knowing how colors respond to each other and to the atmosphere around them, is what makes such a difference! I learn a lot from your blog, thanks Libby!

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Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it! I reply back in an email if you are signed in and I can see your address. Otherwise I will post the reply here under your comment. I tend to cut and paste my emails too so that others can experience the back and forth which I think is integral to blogging.
Libby