For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by color and the way it is interpreted by the eye. From learning the color wheel to analyzing the color combinations used on the Sistine Chapel ceiling to investigating the impact color has on everyday life I have been transfixed (seriously, a friend once asked me why I felt the need to paint everything). The eye has a sophisticated way of translating the many aspects of color, which leads to an interesting exploration.
When I first started to study drawing and painting at a collegiate level color was removed from the palette. This was done to help train the eye to look beyond color to the shape and shadow of an object. As color was slowly added back into the palette I became intrigued with the various nuances that arise. The use of different mixtures of color to represent darks, mediums, and lights is captivating. It is amazing how easily the eye can be tricked. For example, I rarely paint with black. A combination of blue and brown makes for softer shadows and dark portions in a painting while still convincing the eye that it is viewing black. And, this is just one of many variations that can have a dramatic impact on a painting!
Shortly after learning a few color combinations I started my intentional exploration of color. I became a student of Rembrandt, Vermeer, Dali, Monet, and Cezanne analyzing the the way they mastered and executed color combinations. I looked at what happens when a painting consists of cool colors with one warm color thrown in. Or when warm colors dominate a canvas with white as a contrast. I compared the use of primary colors with that of secondary colors. While visiting the Sistine Chapel I wrote down a lengthy list of color combinations used by Michelangelo (my college roommate waited very patiently for me). This research seeped into my own work and I found myself leaving my comfort zone. Some paintings have been successful and some have not, but I have learned from each.
As I continue to grow and my artistic outlets change I have looked beyond the conventional art world to the world around me. Color is used in so many different ways. It is used in marketing to help sell products, in restaurants to set a mood, in health care to help assess a patient’s well-being, in yoga to represent energy points…the list goes on and on. While I cannot say that I have mastered the concept of color, I can say that I will continue my exploration.
Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment. ~Claude Monet
The Artfelt Brush 