A Colorful New Year

Here we are in a New Year- already it’s the 13th! I wanted to make a post, say hello and just share one of my greatest loves- COLOR!

The top image is a little canvas with the primaries on the top row- left to right- Ultramarine White, Cadmium Yellow Light, Cadmium Red Light and Ultramarine Blue. All the other colors are mixed from these four-which I didn’t think would be possible. Don’t you need masses of tubes to get all the colors? Well, no you don’t. When I studied at The Lyme Academy of Fine Art- we were not allowed any more than these 4 in Painting 101. I don’t restrict myself in that way any longer but still value the harmony that a limited palette will bring to any painting.

This next image is a color chart dating back to my days at the Lyme Academy- it’s a value scale. I look at it today and know I could do a much better job, but it’s a great reminder of how far I’ve come since I started painting in 2000. Remember- it’s progress- NOT perfection- and that goes for all the facets of my life.