In the past year or so, I have done a series of paintings where I took out much of the color in my work, leaving behind sometimes monochromatic renderings of my compositions. But recently I have swung back to the deeper, richer colors that has long marked my work. I think this new painting is a good example of this return to color.
I call this piece Discovery’s Door and it’s a 15″ by 25″ painting on paper. The Red Tree here is again the central figure and holds a position that feels like it is in a spotlight as its image emerges into sight from behind the darker trees that frame it. It’s this emergence that gives me the discovery in the title as well as the bright light that seems to be illuminating the tree. A light of epiphany, self-discovery.
The colors here are very strong but there is a harmony between them that makes their impact seem softer and natural. I don’t think this will come through in this image on a computer screen but the blues and greens of the sky and the water have an opalescence that brings to mind a favorite color of mine from the windows of Louis Comfort Tiffany. It gives this piece a bit of the feel of a stained glass panel, something I often hear from people who see my work for the first time. I definitely see that here.
I also think the intensity of the color here enhances the sense of self-discovery implied in the title. As though the realization of one’s true self suddenly makes everything near seem more vivid and alive, forcing their way into the memory of the moment, creating a sensory marker. I know that I often remember major moments of my own life either in deep colors or in strong scents. That is what I see here in this image of a moment of self-realization– the vividness of the moment.
Redtree Times 