This piece utilizes a color strategy that was introduced to me by Julia Ricketts. The first step is to create a palette of hues based on an object from nature. I used a lovely branch from a tree in our yard. It’s a very exotic tree with burnt reddish blossoms and greenish wood that is covered in ochre fuzz. I generally work very quickly so it was refreshing to slow down and focus purely on color. The hues are similar to my usual palette except these are much more neutral. Instead of using the colors to create a still life of the branch, the next step is to apply shades and tints of the hues to a design of one’s choice. I had been working on ribbon paintings over the summer so I thought it would be interesting to see how this palette affected the overall look. The natural tones really complement the organic quality of the design.
The imagery and colors together with the shape of the canvas work well to signify diversity, interconnection, family and unity. Overall I think this painting is about relationships. The ribbons are simultaneously intertwined and independent. This shows that through a mass of undulating shapes, twists and turns, balance is possible. The goal isn’t to make nice, neat little lines out of the messy spaghetti-like material in our lives. It is simply to find the balance in what is already there.
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