What’s cooking?

What’s cooking?

A Show of Hands: Cook

I can’t cook, but I sure appreciate and admire those who can.

“Cook”–Graphite and Watercolor Wash

Cooking up Color

In painting class, we’re studying color theory.  But for me, it’s more than just ‘theory’–it’s passion.  Like a manic cook in a kitchen full of delicious ingredients, I blend and stir, exploring endless color combinations.  I inhale the fragrant diversity as the colors come to life on my palette.

I mix up a warm red and blue, but instead of the delectable violet I have envisioned, I create a rather flavorless plum.  By simply switching to a cool red and blue, I achieve mouth-watering eggplant purple.  Add  just a dash of Titanium White, and my eggplant morphs into sweet, floral English lavender.  A sprinkle of white can take me from tasty, tangy tangerine to fresh pastel cantaloupe, while a pinch of black transforms bright apple red to the dark burgundy of a fine aged wine.

So far, each day in class has been a celebration of the incredible variety in the world of color.  I am seeing objects with new-found clarity.  That grape isn’t just green, it’s a warm yellow-green with deep indigo and violet shadows.  Fruity reds and blues, crisp greens, and starchy whites–I lay out my palette like I’m plating a meal at a five star restaurant.  With an abundance of scrumptious colors to choose from, who knows what I’ll cook up next!  I can only hope that the critics will give it rave reviews.

A color saturation chart showing some of the many possibilities when mixing orange, blue, black, and white