Over two years now & it still feels
like I'm recovering, although I am beginning to enjoy some of the
aspects of my 'new normal'. I used to always think of my numerous
interests as conflicted. The connection between my painting &
choice of animal as subject was obvious. But before the BT, I thought of science and math as just something that was interesting & never made the connection between my art & science.
Looking for purpose in my art has
brought me back to my interest in science and re-awakened my inner
nerd. Especially when I think about color.
My bachelor degree in electrical
engineering came about because of my interest in math and science -
the opportunities to get a good job were unquestionable. Working in
the field though gave me a good understanding of why a career should
be based on something you love to do and I didn't love it. I took a
voluntary lay off and went to work helping in my husband's veterinary
practice. This gave me time to pursue my real passion - art.
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| original chart created on a 24" x 30" canvas |
Having had the opportunity to study the
physics and math of color in college gave me an understanding of
color that has transcended the connection between my love of art and
my love of science. While taking an oil painting class the
teacher strongly suggested making color charts in order to study how
the colors blend when mixed.
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| 'Time Out', oil on linen 14x11"- using colors from the chart above |
One of the most interesting discoveries
I made doing these charts was that the colors used
to mix flesh are the same as the colors used to mix earth. All
coming from a light source that is bending, refracting and reflecting
– the study of color is like playing in a candy store with a very large puzzle. The colors
on a palette can be scientifically analyzed and emotionally labeled
to create the warm and cool vibrations used to represent life on a
two dimensional surface. Wow. I love this stuff.
Color will always dominate my
paintings. When thinking about the language of art, for me, color is the
voice with which I speak. No wonder I liked playing with
crayons and finger paint so much as a child.
In any art, science plays a huge part
in both the creation and the message
- whether you think about it or
not :)