A Color Addiction

It has taken me a bit to put up this post; I actually started it yesterday. As I was finishing this little painting sketch of my new lemon zester, my brain started traveling to the land of make believe. I made two posts, you are getting this one today. If I decide, tomorrow, to post the one from the land of make believe, you will know it without a doubt.

I am posting this one for today, it is about my addiction to color. I think that my addiction to color is the reason behind the incredible desire to create, whether I am working with the plethora of incredible fabrics being created today, or if I am working with more "traditional" artist materials like my paints. I am so addicted to color that I had to buy this yellow Microplane lemon zester just so I could feel more "lemony" while I am zesting. I know it sounds crazy, but that is the way I am. Like most people, I am extremely attracted to color and I have a difficult time understanding the people who roam the earth with an indifference to it. How do they get through their day? I have no idea. When choosing a color for anything whether it be a yarn, a napkin, an ice cream, or a car, the color of the object has to sing to me.  The song has to lure me in. If it is a grey sweater I am looking for, I want the song to envelope me in the mood I am seeking. All greys are not made the same. One can be ethereal, like the color of the daylight that fills a room on a somewhat bright, but yet still grey day as it comes through the white lace of a curtain hanging in the window, another grey can make me feel like I am walking the moors in a thick fog with my head hanging low after having broken up with the love of my life. The only question I have to ask myself when choosing a color is what do I want the song to say?, or rather what is the mood of the song?

As I have been coming along with my drawings and paintings, color questions are beginning to appear. How do I paint the exact color that I "hear in the song"? Although I am trying hard to reproduce colors, I find myself completely inept, wasting paint as if my pockets were stuffed with gold coins. In an attempt to have any money left over to eat with, I am embarking on figuring out this whole color business. I am using the book, Blue And Yellow Don't Make Green. Below you can see the drawing I made of my new palette with the colors I am using to paint.

The author of the book, Michael Wilcox, also created this lovely palette to make all the theory in his book more "fun" to follow along with. Note I used the word "fun", in no way is it absolutely necessary to have the palette in order to follow his theory. The main wells in the inner circle are actually shaped in the form of arrows to direct you as to which way to go when mixing your colors. The hope is that you will be able to consistently reproduce color mixes and avoid the dreaded mud that can result when you just heap colors together without rhyme or reason.

I hope the book will unveil some of the color mysteries I am facing, and I feel like the purchase of the palette is somehow justified now that for the first time in my life I have actually filled an entire sketchbook.

This little sketchbook is proof positive that anything can happen when you make up your mind to do something. I am just in love with the fact that the "something" I have chosen to do is feeding my color addiction. 

With you in my thoughts,

Carolina

 

 

Comments

[Alicia Armstrong]

Congratulations! Your sketchbook is beautiful! The doillies are perfect with the zester, great combination. Love your palette, it looks very fun. I've been painting, but I've had no sun for shooting pictures of the paintings, maybe tomorrow

[Elizabeth Mackey]

That is a super cool paint palette!! I think Caitlin would love to have that.

The more you write the more I swear you are me in another state! Color is my "thing" everyone in the family knows not to mess with me when picking colors for items or trying to match them. I think I'm a true addict to color, as I have never had a" favorite color". When asked, I always try and think of one I'm more partial to, and it never works! I love them all.

[Eva]

Wow, that looks really scientific! I'd like to learn more about colour theory, do you know any good books on that topic? I love colour, too and I feel crafting has broadened my mind. There are certain colours that I thought I didn't like before, which I now really love. Still, there's colours I can't have around me all the time, otherwise they make me nervous. It's really interesting how colours evoke moods or memories!

Your sketchbook is beautiful! I'm looking forward to the next one!

[Melissa P]

I am in complete agreement with you about people who go through life indifferent to color. I often feel sad for them in their humdrum gray world. I would go even further and wonder at how people can be indifferent to the shapes and shadows and interesting tiny bits that make up our environments.

This zester painting is wonderful. I can't wait for the fantasy post. I really hope to see it posted.

[maria cecilia]

Estás tan inspirada escuchando la música de los colores!!!! Tu perseverancia está reflejándose en tu trabajo cada día mejor!!!

Ese "vestido" azul que te cantó es una falda, sorry....
cariños

[Cindy Lane]

A fellow colour addict!

Love your sunny sketch and your sketchbook is divine!

You know you can never have too many colours - I feel my OCD has revealed itself in the number of paints, pastels, pens, pencils et al. I thought it numbered in the hundreds. No no,it's thousands...

I made a comment here before and it has been disappeared - the wee ghosties in the www have been busy!

Cheers,

Cindy