Play With Colours – You Want To Do It!

Play. What a lovely word. Getting  my paints out and enjoying the day, just me and my Colours!  Cerulean, Indigo, Scarlet, shimmering Gold, Naples Yellow,  Indanthrone, Ultramarine Blue.It sounded like Fun to me.

Plus, it sure beat mopping the floors.

No plot, no plan, no deadline, no rules.

No ‘must get this done’  or I must paint a mountain, or a landscape, or a building, etc.     It seems like such decadence, rich and luxurious.

But my oh my.  What I learn, what I gain from my indulgence is beyond price.

This is – in a way,  how we  artists revive.   In other words,  how we ‘sleep and then wake refreshed.’   We really can’t be busy working at it all the time, can we and not expect to become a bit tired?!

Playing with colours,  mixing, testing.

There is a lot of this starting to crop up lately I’ve noticed.

I see more and more   “Adult colouring books” out specifically for grownups who just want to colour.

They may not have the time to draw up a design.

Or perhaps,   most likely,  their confidence in their ability to do so – has been eroded.   But still, more and more people are wanting to use their colours!  

Above, I have first mixed the cerulean with white and naples yellow.   Next I tried some indigo and indanthrone on white damp paper.

Then I decided to combine the two  and  see what might happen. The result was the sample  Colours of the Sky, below.

This could serve as a springboard palette for a larger image, perhaps in oils even.  I do like the dominant blue theme, the vertical format, the feeling of deep water reflection at the bottom and light at the horizon area.

 

For the next colour mix, I thought I’d grab my red scarlet and whack it into the mix!

A nice fiery flare.

I thought it looked great against the cerulean teal colour  adjoining it.    Quite a few mixes and bits and pieces were explored, though admittedly, some were very muddied.

But …. that is all part of the creative process I have learned over the years to embrace!    I learn something from each. So really, its ok.

 

Quotes to remember

Playing with my colours, yes, its a lot like being a child again. That’s not a bad thing.   I’m reminded of what   Picasso said,

“Every child is an artist.    The problem is   how to remain an artist once he grows up.“

 

And   my quote is,  “Playing with paints sure beats mopping the floors.”