What's the Idea Paintings

 

After Saturday's painting trip I had some palette cleaning to do, and a few scraps of paper cuttings that I was testing out for winter painting. The paper absorbs the paint to such an extent that the colours come out a little dull and pastel. To adapt, I used a graduated value trick in the sky, where successively lighter brush strokes are juxtaposed creating a Tye-dye effect. Note: In the future painting Saturation Costs, I went with a more conventional tree and ground but kept the essence of the tye-dye sky.

Saturation Costs Tree and Tye-dye Sky 5 x 7" hot press 90lb, watercolour, February 2021 (No. 2558a)

 

This one has a kaleidoscope effect, built up with interlocking areas of earth orange and earth yellow colours. Trippy. 

Burnt Toast Kaleidoscope 5 x 7" hot press 90lb, watercolour, February 2021 (No. 2559)

 

Inspired by wood paneling, this painting is a maze of brown squares and rectangles. It reminded me of a box of chocolates, fitting for Valentines day. I also painted a Valentine's card today with a painting of a box of chocolates included.

Brown Town 5 x 7" hot press 90lb, watercolour, February 2021 (No. 2560)

 

What would an idea session be without a lemon sunset painting. Set in a desolate future where people live in bunkers and chicken shaped condos, this installment shows a canoe rushing to get to the shore. I always make the canoe red, that was the colour of our family canoe for years.

Lemon Sunset, Rainy Day 5 x 7" hot press 90lb, watercolour, February 2021 (No. 2561)