Day 22: 30/30 Challenge

Day 22: 30/30 challenge

After about 6-7 thumbnail sketches with color, this one came together fairly easily. The goal with this one was to use two opposing color relationship: yellow-green/red-violet and green/red. The first color relationship takes up much of the composition. The second relationship takes up a smaller portion but perhaps has more of an impact because of the saturated red rectangle. I like all of the colors together because to me, they all relate somehow. The greens and reds all have a hue and temperature progression to them. I also like the mix of geometric and horizontal with the more diagonal and organic lines of the mountain. And lastly, the format is portrait rather than landscape which I think is an interesting opposition to those horizontals-don't forget about the frame as being part of the composition!

I bother to write all of this out for my own benefit (I like to think things through) but also in case anyone else is interested. Composition and design are such interesting things to me. The following doesn't apply to anyone else but me. I think that when you do something or like or dislike something, you should be able to explain why. It's why I write it out.

Incidentally, this piece is based on my time at Melones Reservoir yesterday. I went for a hike and had a look at the land. The reservoir is so low; it's terribly sad somehow. I could see trees that had been buried when the dam was installed. The mountains have a distinctive curvature to them and include rings of dirt and vegetation, giving them the appearance of having green and red/orange "necklaces" or "bracelets." I wanted to incorporate those features, that layering, into my painting but I didn't want to paint things as is.  I chose horizontal lines for the green grasses and a red rectangle to represent the houseboats that I used to see floating on the water. There are still boats moored there but not where I used to see them. The mountains, depending on the lighting, can take on a purplish or red/violet cast to them. I decided to push that and warm it up. 

OK, almost all done for the week. I had to rearrange some things this week so no class with PKR for me tomorrow. So, one more post hopefully! Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby