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| Tangerine Trees |
I took a watercolor class at the library about ten years ago
and the instructor challenged the students to be bold with color. She said if
you looked hard enough, you could find every color in the spectrum in your
subject. "You think a palm tree is
green? Look harder. In addition to myriad greens, you'll see yellow and blue,
even fuchsia." Fuchsia? Really? I get the greens and yellows and even
reflected blues, but pink? In a palm tree? Then she showed me.
She painted a dab of the most remarkable pink right next to
the heart of the tree. Amazingly, it worked. Not only did it work, it made the
painting more interesting and dynamic. What a fun and memorable lesson!
Of course my first thoughts of this challenge led me to the
fuchsia palm. I sketched the pink palm with the green trunk next to a yellow
sea and purple sky. Nice idea but unfortunately it only worked in theory. Other
designs buzzed around my head like bees on a flower, but time ticked by and nothing
congealed.
To say I'm not fond of the waiting phase of the design
process would be an understatement. Rather than focus on the excitement of
visions buzzing about the periphery, I feel pressured by time. I've always been
a results-oriented person and knowing there is a deadline looming with a
solution just beyond my reach is frustrating. My remedy? Play.
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| Detail |
I used a glue resist on the cotton and then dyed the muslin,
synthetic acetate and sheers with India inks.
Oh yes, my husband named it. He said it reminded him of "tangerine
trees and a marmalade sky" from the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds.
very, very Florida!
ReplyDeletethe piece feels peaceful!
ReplyDeleteFresh and fun! :-) I too had a watercolour teacher who put different colours in trees. We don't have palms up here -- at least, not outdoors -- but we *do* have evergreens...which aren't just one shade of green, and may also harbour blue and purple... Thanks for going out on limb with the Tangerine Trees (pun completely intended!)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you mastered the challenge, Lisa-Marie! Glad you had some fun playing with colour ... and I just love the title!
ReplyDeleteA really unexpected result, Lisa-Marie. It's wonderful and the process sounds like a lot of fun! Wish I was there for a play day!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you let go of any preconceived plan and the result is fresh, colourful and I'm enjoying looking into the shadows while 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds...'plays in my head!
ReplyDeleteYour piece certainly doesn't betray any impatience at all. Rather playful, end of a tropical day. And...the perfect title.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful. Thank you for sharing the story of the watercolor class!
ReplyDeleteIt brings me a new way of thinking!