Spring is here and summer draws near.
All that my heart desires to see are the colors I feel.
The colors of love.
A few weeks back I showcased all abstract paintings for the first time during a special art event called The Harding Art Show in Nashville. I was extremely sceptical of displaying all abstracts as I usually display an array of contemporary landscapes and impressionistic flowers. Now I'm glad that I took such a risk.
Along with my favorite palette of blues, grays and greens, I took along a few paintings that were heavy on the pinks. One did sell and the others received a great deal of love. There were times when a couple would stop to admire the art, an art show can make for a wonderful date night, and I would begin to notice the gentlemen would gaze up at the pink paintings as if in deep thought. Of course I'm sitting here thinking to myself that he must be wondering why the need for pink. It doesn't match the couch, would not look good in his office, hmmm, the kitchen...well, you see where I'm going.
"Lipstick Love" 24x24 acrylic on canvas
To my surprise these men were actually drawn to the pink paintings as if there were some magical super-power to the color pink. A few of the men expressed, almost as if they were embarrassed to do so, that they didn't understand why they were so drawn to these paintings but that they were. After about the third conversation I had with one of the men who seemed to be under some spell while looking up at one of the 24x24's, I began to wonder if it wasn't the pink that was pulling them in, maybe it was the over all feeling they were recieving from the painting. Like some sort of personal connection of sorts. "It just makes me feel so happy" he said.
"Flowers In Her Heart II" 16x40 acrylic on canvas
We stood there trying to figure it all out when it hit us! Our eyes wide open with that moment of epiphany! It was how the overall colors, the pinks playing a big role, were mixed together, the neutral grays and warm whites which balanced out the pinks and created a this warm magical mood.
"Little Guitars" 24x24 acrylic on canvas
I wish I could have explored more as to what those feelings were but that does leave room for ones imagination. Maybe it was reminding them of love, their daughters, their wives, the princess in their life.
"On Stalks of Clover" 24x24 acrylic on canvas
Who knows. Whatever it is, the word love will always be in the back of my mind each time my brushes touch these colors.
