Art Adventures - by Patricia Banks©
Published March 2018 in Nanaimo Magazine and Voyager Magazine
Published March 2018 in Nanaimo Magazine and Voyager Magazine
Spring paints vibrancy back into life after the cold winter has blanched our hearts and minds. Spring is more than a season; it warms the earth and renews the spirit! It is the colour associated with balance and harmony. As Amy Seidl put it, “the world is exploding in emerald, sage and lusty chartreuse – neon green with so much yellow in it”. The drama of new growth and fertility is easily seen as the environment changes from winter to spring!
As an artist, I have observed that the greens of each season are different from one another. In spring, the foliage glows with warmth and freshness and the leaves appear to be bursting with energy and vitality. Summer greens take on deeper shades, and overall, carry a bluer tone. With cooler temperatures and less light in autumn, plant chlorophyll breaks down quickly and the rich green colours fade, then disappear. This process allows the yellow, orange and red hues that were always present in the leaves, to be revealed. The greens of winter appear as muted shades of grey in a world of black and white.
I’ve heard it said that the skill of an artist can be appreciated through their effective use of the colour green. That’s understandable, since mixing the ‘right’ greens for a painting can be challenging for many artists. Green is a secondary colour; it is made by mixing blue and yellow paint together. While artists may use premixed green paint, directly from a tube, the qualities or characteristics achieved by mixing varying amounts of all three primary colours – red, blue, and yellow – together will present infinite possibilities to render spectacular green hues. Practicing mixing paint outdoors is the best way I know to represent Mother Nature’s unlimited palette. As new greens pop from their winter slumber, enjoy the visual feast that spring’s beauty has to offer!
As an artist, I have observed that the greens of each season are different from one another. In spring, the foliage glows with warmth and freshness and the leaves appear to be bursting with energy and vitality. Summer greens take on deeper shades, and overall, carry a bluer tone. With cooler temperatures and less light in autumn, plant chlorophyll breaks down quickly and the rich green colours fade, then disappear. This process allows the yellow, orange and red hues that were always present in the leaves, to be revealed. The greens of winter appear as muted shades of grey in a world of black and white.
I’ve heard it said that the skill of an artist can be appreciated through their effective use of the colour green. That’s understandable, since mixing the ‘right’ greens for a painting can be challenging for many artists. Green is a secondary colour; it is made by mixing blue and yellow paint together. While artists may use premixed green paint, directly from a tube, the qualities or characteristics achieved by mixing varying amounts of all three primary colours – red, blue, and yellow – together will present infinite possibilities to render spectacular green hues. Practicing mixing paint outdoors is the best way I know to represent Mother Nature’s unlimited palette. As new greens pop from their winter slumber, enjoy the visual feast that spring’s beauty has to offer!
