Three small abstract paintings

I did three small abstract paintings this week, mostly just to keep my brushes moving and to enjoy the feel of putting paint on paper. The teaching is almost done and the research is almost under control, so I hope to do a bit more painting in December than I did in November. In a typical year I would not paint much in the fall, but this year has been quite the exception. For the above painting, I wanted to explore the pairings of tertiary colours, those are the weird ones, rose red, yellow-orange, and a neutral 'jade-like'blue-green. Rose red is about half way between red and magenta.

Paid in Jade, 4 x 3 3/4 " cold press, watercolour, November 2020 

The other day I was looking wistfully out my front window, it was sunny that afternoon but I had zoom meetings all day. As my mind worked out the colours of the bricks, sky and shadows I remembered it, and made this small abstract painting later in the evening. I called it 'abstract outside' because the colours were inspired by the outside view of the now-famous mechanic and apartments on Walkley street on a sunny day.

Abstract Outside, 4 x 6" cold press, watercolour, November 2020 

 In the course of experimenting I found that rose red paint (PV19), also called magenta, can be mixed with yellow to create some earthy oranges. I blended in more of the rose red, or some indothrene blue (PB60) or benzi yellow (PY154), and then overlaid some organic outlines. It is a very small painting done on a cutting from an old painting that didn't make the grade. In fact, almost everything I painted in October and November was on the back of a cut up painting. Don't worry, the cut up ones were not that great. One day they can be put back together like a puzzle.

 Neutral Values, 2 x 7.5" cold press, watercolour, November 2020