Studio Abandonment

Several weeks have passed since grinding enough colors to get a good start on this project. And, in spite of the holidays, I am now on painting #3. Painting #1 is based on a portrait by Franz Hals which is of interest because of the wonderful lace collar on the gentleman. It is a very mono-chromatic painting with bravura brush strokes, showing various tones of black, whites, muted greenish background, and several shades of cool and warm flesh tones.

I decided to do a small still life featuring a lace, a vase, black satin, and maybe a flower or two. As the painting progressed, profound frustration set in. It became overwhelmingly clear that I missed the bright colors such as cadmium yellow, ultramarine blue, cobalt violet, and others that, by self-infliction, I am now forbidden to use. After several days of struggle I decided to abandon Franz Hals and move on to another painting with more lively coloration.

This one is a portrait of a young boy in costume by Dirck Dirchsz van Santvoort. The costume is a bright red with gold accessories, azurite blue feathers, muted greenish/brown background, and black; all strong vibrant colors.

I am much happier now. And wiser too. And I have learned much about myself, and how color affects my psyche. Almost all of the paintings from the Dutch exhibit which I will be using henceforth are more colorful.