“Who Knew, no. 3″; 36″ x 36”; oil & collage on canvas
You know that feeling when you say, “Yes, That’s It!“ This morning, as I was about to close up shop, even had some paints put away, the world of the paintings opened up to me and I stayed in my studio long after I planned to leave. That’s what makes it worthwhile, that time of ”Got It!“ But then, there is tomorrow and I might have a very different feeling about what I did today. But I doubt it. it was strong this morning.
When painting, I am looking for something that is beyond what I’ve done before, for something I didn’t know. This morning I was working mostly with blue again. Always a struggle for me. And I do love that struggle. Where nothing comes easily and I feel challenged. Even when it comes easily but surprises me with a freshness I didn’t know about, it wakes me up. Then it is hard to stop working.
A friend was here when the paint I had ordered recently arrived and we started talking about blue. For several months in the summer and fall, I had run out of my favorite blue, ultramarine, and had to improvise. It was interesting, finding new combinations to create that richness of the ultramarine. Most blues are very beautiful but more superficial, pretty. When putting several blues together, I could come close to the depth and beauty of ultramarine. In truth, I am finding most colors look better on canvas when they are combined with closely related neighbors. And now I am enjoying mixing many blues (and reds and greens) and discovering what can happen. It’s all a mystery, even when it works well.