Color is kinda "my thing". At least, that's what I often hear from others. It is indeed one of my favorite tools to create a sense of drama and focus in my paintings.
When I first started learning how to paint, I didn't know anything about color. While growing up, I was mostly just into drawing with pencils, and my technical drawing training in architecture was exclusively monochrome. While I was practicing architecture, there was some color but it essentially came down to taste, and seemed almost arbitrary. I didn't know the WHY or the HOW.
At the Schuler School I was immediately drawn to using saturated colors. It was so freeing and new to me. As the years went by, I started forming my own thoughts and theories about how to best use color as a compositional tool. Eventually I developed a level of assuredness around this. I thought that I understood color.
Just recently (within the past year or so, and particularly with this current painting), I've come to realize that I don't really understand color at all. I finally know enough to know that I don't know anything. This in itself isn't frustrating at all, in fact, it's kind of exciting. There are infinite depths to explore.
This work in progress below has been a back-and-forth puzzle with color. My challenge may not be very apparent when comparing the photo below with the progress pics that I showed you almost two months ago (wtf lol), but I'm still trying to figure it out. The only real source of disquiet with this process has been the crazy voice in my head telling me that I've been working on this for far too long (reminding me that I used to crank out 3-4 paintings a month), that I'm disappointing galleries and collectors, that my drop in prolificness is an injury to my relevance, pride, and even...duty as an artist. Such drama, such artist. Thanks guys, this newsletter is serving as a great therapy session. I seriously feel much better now, haha. :D
