On my very first day art class, the professor assigned us to make color wheels. I was aghast, what? Color wheels are for 2nd graders. Why had my college professor assigned such a naive task? Why? Begrudgingly, I did it.
For a week, I painted row upon row of colors with slight tonal variations. So many hues. Finally I completed this ‘silly’ assignment and turned it in just before 4:30pm at the Art Main Hall. It is a grand building on the hill, with Lake Champlain gleaming below. I looked around our golden soaked campus. Copper maple leaves tumbling down. Somehow the trees grew heavy with jewel tones and the fading harvest light. Did the squirrels tails get bushier? Everything was MORE. I laughed aloud, “Color wheel magic indeed!”
I realized through the process of coloring, literally stewing in color, I had very quickly expanded my visual language. I had attuned my eye to more color and thus saw the world around me more vibrantly. Simply, because my eye knew more colors, I saw more. This is the intention of my art. By immersing the viewer in the vibrant color and form of the natural world that is all around us, I hope to increase the viewers visual language. Be it a new color or a glorious, wee insect, suddenly the world expands.
I want the viewer to see more. More color. More life. A different shape. Perhaps something that may have been overlooked in the past, but now the viewer can immerse their visual field with crisp, clear lines, layered watercolors and a closer look - to see more.
I presently have three collections exploring color and accessibility using the natural world of insects. At the Burnaby Library, I check out great, big books of our natural world. I feel like I’m eight years old and there is a special surprise waiting for me to discover and share. I am always expanding in my art as the natural world is my inspiration and expression. Ever growing. Wonder guaranteed.
I pencil sketch the insects on 1264 Fabriano 8x8 in watercolor paper with overlays of watercolors. The Fabriano paper is essential as it is almost its own organism that responds to color and water as if it’s breathing life. At least it does for me. My art is accessible for all ages and abilities.
I am very pleased to share my collections with you and hope you see MORE. Thank you.
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