Recently I took an abstract painting class with the amazing Elaine Florimonte https://elaineflorimonte.com/home.html, a fellow FCPS artist and teacher. Elaine had such enthusiasm, and some genius ideas for helping students with color theory: “Pick a color, it’s opposite on the color wheel, titanium white, and burnt umber. That’s it. Those are all the paints you can use.” I tried this out for myself, and loved the freedom. I was in a purple-y red mood, so chose the soft green just opposite that on the wheel. It’s amazing the range of colors possible just using complimentaries and two neutrals. (OK, maybe a little ultramarine blue found its way to my palette for that vibrant pot!)
Annie O’Brien Gonzales https://www.annieobriengonzales.com/home is another painter whose work I just love. She’s based in New Mexico and uses pattern freely in her abstract still lifes and abstracts. You can see her influence most definitely!
I look at this purple passion plant in my sunroom all the time, and have shared its cuttings with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and students. It seemed a fitting choice for this study, and I’m so pleased with the result. The original (8″ x 12.25″ on board, $150) is available through me, or prints can be found here: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/purple-passion-anne-lewis.html
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