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Orchids Positive



Orchids Negative



Stats: 2 10x8x3/4 oil on canvas
Playlist: See previous post
Beverage: Dark and stormy

These two follow the previous two positive and negative tulip paintings from my previous post. The same theory applies - the negative images uses all complementary colors. Again, let me know where to go from here! I got some great feedback from the Open Studio, which I will post next time, but I always look for more.

On a side note, I like this composition better than the tulips, and the flowers lasted a lot longer. I am going to have to raise my prices to be able to comfortably afford to paint orchids from now on. They are lovely.

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Tulips Positive



Tulilps Negative



Stats: 10x8x3/4 oil on canvas
Playlist: Newly downloaded - Vorspiel, The Planets - Jupiter, Lever du Jour, Lux Aeterna (from Requiem for a Dream), I Believe, Lake Michigan (da lake), Love in Vain, October, Feeling Good (Nina Simone), Heart Skipped a Beat, Intro, Heart of Hearts, Electric Feel
Beverage: Water

In preparation for my Open Studio I did some crash painting. I love these two sets of pieces. This and my next post focus on something I am going to delve more into over the next few months. Rather than think so much about making my paintings interesting from an academic standpoint, I decided to stick to my preferred technique but make my theme academically interesting.

If you can guess what that theme is you get bonus points. Comment and let me know if you did - I'll work out some sort of prize mechanism. Honor system applies.

I love color. Why deny it? So I took one painting of the positive image of some tulips I picked up across the street, then flipped it and did the second piece in negative. It's like the positive and negative image of a photograph. In the positive image I stayed true to the original colors. In the negative image I used the same palette but literally flipped each color to its exact complementary color. Blue became orange, red became green, yellow highlights of "light" turned into light purple highlights.

Painting it felt like doing sudoku for a color-obsessed person. What do you think? Any suggestions on how I can take this type of theme deeper?

Flying Buttresses

Stats: "Roark" 30x15x.75 oil on canvas
Playlist: French and Brazilian music
Beverage: Dark and Stormy with curiously old ginger beer. Mental note: It is a new year. Buy new ginger beer.

Yes, I named a painting after the main character in The Fountainhead. Although this painting is really taken from a photo I took of the flying buttresses at the National Cathedral, when I finished it it reminded me of the cover of the book The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand. I always liked the main character, rogue architect Roark, so I thought the name was appropriate.

This painting was designed to allow me to play with my interpretation of composition, light and color of a classic architectural element. I have always loved flying buttresses. What kind of a term is that, anyway? Aside from whatever the word's etymology does to attract my attention, though, I like the fact that they create unique lines from behind which light pokes out in an interesting fashion.

I wanted to show that the sky at the top of the cathedral's hill can get stunningly blue, and that the building itself turns pink in certain lighting. I used my palette to accentuate these features, which led to a green-less palette. I also insisted on painting this entire thing in one fell swoop. I started the blue background only 30 minutes after painting an orange wash over the entire canvas, so none of the layers of color are unique to what I had mixed on my palette. Each color took something from underneath. I suppose that also lends a post-industrial, anti-communist, freedom of expression sheen to the piece that Ayn Rand would be proud of. Every layer is built off of a foundation of rusted iron ore (transparent iron oxide orange), to give it a new, expressive life. It also makes for a pleasant evening and quick work.

I will be doing more quick work this weekend. In preparation for my upcoming Open Studio, I want to return to my roots and do five 8x10 floral still life sketches. Two pairs will be positive-negative images, and one is a commission for my mom to go with Pink Tulips. I intend to spend 45 minutes on each. Stay tuned!