Cattails -- featuring Yellow Green

Yellow Green Cattails, 7 x 11, pastel on paper

Probably like you, I have strong color preferences. When in doubt, I will reach for yellow orange and blue. Even if I have no doubts, I reach for these colors. They have become comfortable in my hands, easy on my eyes, and my good friends.

Not that there's anything wrong with that ...

But, I think it has left me weak with other color harmonies. Challenged. Uneasy. Sometimes I even experience "stranger danger" with other color combinations.

So, find a problem, figure out a solution, right? I took out my trusty Analogous Color Wheel, and dialed in a less-familiar main color: Yellow Green. And I worked the rest of this painting around the analogous and complementary colors. Not what I would normally choose, but it works. And I loved the challenge of putting together colors in a new way.

I just might have to do this again!

No Ride!

No Ride!

24 x 18, pastel

This painting provided many challenges for me. The shape of the cable car, several figures relating to one another, and a desire to keep it loose and somewhat abstracted. I don't expect every painting to be a success (it would indicate I wasn't trying hard at challenging myself) but I can usually find something that went well even in the worst painting.

I will do better next time.