Scarlet Inferno – oils and graphite

Scarlet Red flashes amidst the dove grey and darker charcoals.  Like a cardinal flying in the winter skies of New England.  ……..I can imagine.

I can imagine the white as snow falling upon the land, cooling.

 

One of my favourite mottos is  “Imagine and Create.”

Indeed, I can Imagine!

 

Today was a bit warm.  OK, it was HOT!     42.5 c      i.e.  108+ F

 

• I always paint oils outside, so the vapours dissipate and don’t bother me. I did get out for an early start,  but it was 89 F  at 6:30am.
• One of my experiments was Oils on paper that I gessoed lightly first;    then mixed up some greys used lots of white.
• I automatically chose the greys knowing greys are such a cold colour they tend to make a person ‘feel’ cooler.
• Then,   because it was Hot – in came the big slash of red top and smaller at the bottom. A bit of graphite was under the oil which is slightly visible.

Tonal Values

Final image: There is more than adequate ratios of tonal values of Light, Mid and Dark.

Design

The viewers’ eyes are led into the painting, so that is fine. The edges on the perimeters could have been softer here and there.   Perhaps making a Focal Point more clear and obvious  should have been done.

But my overriding thought  all day long has been “Red Hot Inferno.”

So, I’m going to let it go at that,  and call it ‘good enough’  for a painting done in 108 degrees.