Color Difficulties

Selecting from the thousands of colors is a major challenge to most artists, even for the highly experienced ones. We become overwhelmed by the possibilities frequently finding it difficult to make the "good" choices. Some will stay with comfortable preferences made before and others will wildly plunge in to select the hues that please for the moment, hoping the moment doesn't pass into oblivion. Both are valid starting points.

For my work, I reply upon Mother Nature's suggestions. She knows what she is doing. The sunlight (or lack thereof) will enhance the visual possibilities. Sometimes the wet, overcast days provide more reliable hues and contrasts from which to select. Winter, for me, provides incredible amounts of color choice and it isn't all white and gray. It has to do with the angle of the sun reflecting off ice, snow and other variables. It's quite amazing to my eye to actually notice a wealth of hues and related values.

I find the summer presentation more burned out, flattened, and less thrilling. Of course, if you happened to be strolling through the phenomenal flower gardens at St Clare's college in Cambridge, England, then you'll witness the most splendid use of Nature's color pallet.

I'm in agreement with Camille Pissarro's observation: "Contrary to what colorists believe, Nature is colored in the winter and cold in the summer."