Blue On Blue

oil 6x6 inches click for purchase information and zoom I always enjoy painting these tiny Dutch ceramics pieces. This time my friend, Elizabeth offered me a selection of her collage papers to place it on. While painting this at the fair, I got a great question from a field trip chaperone. Looking at my usual palette of colors she asked, "If what you're painting is all blue and white, then why do you have all those other colors (on your palette)?" I explained that almost nothing in real life is color straight out of the tube, and that also the color is different depending on whether it is in light or shadow, close to you or far away. I explained how I need the three primaries and white all the time to make subtle variations of color. I showed her quickly with little dabs of color. She was fascinated! This was my favorite question for the whole month of the fair. Basic color theory. It's really very simple. I wondered, why don't we all learn this in school like counting and the alphabet? There's an amazing world of color around us all the time, and the more you understand about color, the more amazing it is!!! UPCOMING EVENTS: Tustin Art Walk and Plein Air Competition Saturday, Oct 19. 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Old Town Tustin.