At today's meeting: Tedd, Tim, Jerry, Eunice, Dave, John, Marty T., Jim, Jeanne, Kathy, Marty D, Thomas, Annie, Za, Kristina, Diane, Betsy, Renita, Charlie, Anna, and me (Loretta).
Topic: Sergei Bongart said, "Every good painting has a main color that goes through it." A dominant color. Do you agree? Have you subscribed to this idea?
Tedd: I brought in a portrait done with Prylene green. Green dominates. (photo to come).
Dave: I use a combo of colors that go together to create harmony in the painting. I admire Richard Schmid. I like to use a dominant color and then mix that color with all the other colors on the palette.
John: I did a series of oil paintings with related topics. I used Ultramarine Blue and Raw Umber to create a gray series and added color as I went along.
Jeanne: I brought in a painting of a street scene with pink as the dominant color (capturing the blossoming trees in my front yard).
Kathy: For me, dominant color has to do with light, tinges of light. I've had a class with Jennifer Diehl and learned a lot.
Annie: no report today.
Za: Yes, Bongart is a genius! That's all I have to say! I love that philosophy and try to do it. It's a tool, and if it works, it's okay, though there are no absolutes. I re-worked a couple of portraits to get a certain look. It taught me patience. A lot of warm tones dominate, which unifies the paintings. In this case: soft blue. I brought in three paintings.
Kristina: I thought the idea of a dominant color is like a trap. If the painting is predominately blue with a dot of orange, then it's the orange dominates!
Diane: I had a teacher who used one color throughout, no matter what the hue to get harmony in the painting. I get that by being a messy painter, i.e., I don't clean my brushes very often as I work. I brought in two paintings.
Betsy: I brought in a painting of a Dogwood tree and will paint it again. Green dominates.
Anna: The fabric chosen for a still life can causes color to dominate. Green in this painting complements the red and balances it. A lot of my paintings have blue in them, but I'm trying to get away from blue dominating.
Marty D: I took a painting class where purple was added to all the other colors throughout the painting.
Jim: I didn't bring a painting today. I'm not clear about what Bongart meant by a dominant color, so I Googled him. With high intensity, it's hard to find what the dominant color is in his paintings. Is it the red or yellow or blue? By the way, I like the diffused edges of Za's paintings and want tol try out that effect.
Marty T: I'm back to painting again. I start with color and, definitely, with values. Value dominates and then color. I took a workshop with Kat, painting flowers. I used a different palette. Concentrating on values was the most interesting thing in the workshop.
Jerry: I try to bring color throughout, but I don't think about a dominant or predominate color. I brought in a portrait.
Charlie: With regard to the question of overall color, I never thought about it before. I'm not sure what to do with the question other than agree with it. I brought in a painting on rice paper.
Renita: I could see the dominant color in my archived paintings, but didn't bring any painting today.
Thomas: I have nothing to say! (Laughter)! I agree with everything said, but it troubles me with quotes that say "should or must." I'm not sure every painting has to have a dominant color, but of interest is focus and power. I don't agree with "absolutes." Sometimes a painting will have a color that dominates and sometimes it won't. It's an easy answer to lean on as a first response. Experiment, but then avoid it for a while, or mannerism and/or formula might develop. Dominant: color theory = balance and harmony. Consider values and chroma. How we use color is subjective. And---temperature can make one color more dominant than another.
Upcoming Events:
Kathy: Lavender Festival June 24 – July 8. The festival will be Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12. It will be in Newberg (not in Yamhill Art Center). Two divisions: open and professional.
Diane: I'm going to the Getty Museum in L.A. to see the Turner Exhibit.
Za: Eric Jacobsen is doing a demo at the Sequoia Gallery tomorrow, 3:00 – 4:30. I'll be attending. Call for reservations. There's a $10 fee.
http://sequoiagallerystudios.org/events/event-120-oilacrylic-painting-demo-with-eric-jacobsen/
Jeanne: There's a 5-women show, "Encountering the Figure," at the Multnomah Art Center.
Anna: Saturday: SE Art Walk. Marilyn Affolter Fine Art Gallery.
Hood River Plein Air to submit (deadline March 31):
Note from Bonnie Burlew:
Hello...
I wanted to know if you could announce for me:
R Blooms Floral is planning on doing the art street show this year as in the past. It will be the third Saturday of the month. The cost is nothing and gives artists a chance to showcase their art is a booth like setting or in a smaller setting. We take over the parking lot and side walk in Lake Oswego for the same and make a party of it. Also painting on location is encouraged.
Richard Bloom and I talked about this year and I am planning on helping him get the setups going and artists in place. I will not be having a booth due to my situation but will help Richard manage the event.
The months are June, July Aug and Sept.
If anyone is interested they can send me an email and I will get back to them as soon as I more information.
Thanks...Bonnie Burlew
Editor's Note: thanks to Loretta, Eunice and Tim for the notes and photos from today's meeting.
Thanks to all for bringing your ideas and paintings today. Next meeting, Thursday, 9am March 26 Suggested table topic: Painting bugaboos. Seemingly negative things that can happen (and have happened) during a painting session....and what you did about it and how you avoid that problem now.
I have not thought about one color dominating, but do think about warm and cool, and high and low key. However, winter landscapes can be grey and/or blue dominant and summers can be green dominant. Still, I like to introduce a complement to this dominant color as I think most artists do.
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