Color Play

I am back at work on my Common Denominator series since we leave for a show next week. I've been trying to split my time between the new abstracts, which are going to be shown at an event in association with our Contemporary Museum (more on that later) and the collages. It's fun to change gears like this and I think I learn something each time.

So, as I was building backgrounds, I thought about a discussion I had with another painter about color. She worked in all blues/purples and of course I work in so many reds/oranges. It was funny because she said she has been trying to branch out but can't seem to do it easily. And of course I have had the same problem. I finally achieved some success with a blue/green palette and with pinks & neutrals, but purple continues to be a challenge. Over the past year, I have tried purple over and over with horrendous butt ugly results. I feel plagued by purple.

But today I tried to take my time and do more mixing. I feel a little bit more comfortable. Now, mind you, this isn't purple per se, but it's as close as I've ever gotten. My toe is now in the water; I like the direction and plan to do a little bit more. It turns out I have some great papers that work with the palette, specifically this swell vintage doll house wall paper(say that three times fast). The second piece doesn't have a phrase yet, more thinking needed on my part, probably something about their haircuts....

What a fun time I had playing! I have a full un-interrupted studio day tomorrow (meaning I don't have to leave the house for anything. I can hardly wait.