Skipping Out On My Own Class

My impatience (maybe it's ADD?) kicked in again.  I was fully planning on doing more timed exercises....really I was.  But I've had that 'California colorist' palette simmering in the back of my brain for days now, and, as it is for most of my obsessive thoughts, it won't go away and leave me alone until I do something with it.  So I spent several days studying the paintings of Beverly Wilson, because I really like her palette and painting style.  What colors does she use (hmmm...looks like cad yellow, cad orange, ultramarine blue, magenta....darn, I don't have any magenta, pyrrole crimson will have to do), how does she use them, where does she use them in relation to other colors, etc., etc., etc.  Armed with just enough information to make myself think I could try it, I photographed my trusty chili-red Converse All Star shoe, and got to work.

Colorist Chuck

7" X 5', acrylic on Canson paper

©2009, Lisa Walsh

It was a bit mind boggling to try and switch from painting based mainly on color value to painting based more on color temperature.  I think I nearly gave myself a cerebral hemorrhage.  By the time I finished the shoe, and began doing the shadow, my brain cells curled into a ball and gave up.  At that point, I really didn't have a clue as to what to use for the shadow colors, so I splashed on some of the colors I used in the shoe, put down my brush and backed slowly away from the easel.  Fear not, no shoes were harmed in the making of this painting. 

My left brain says I should be a responsible adult, buckle down and get back to the timed painting exercises.  My right brain is stuck on the Chucks.  Stay tuned to see who wins.

My Muse is holding a kitchen timer in one hand, and a chili-red Chuck in the other.  To immaturity, and beyond!