Seaside Nasturtiums
James Aponovich
oil on canvas, 15" x 16", 2011
Nasturtiums score pretty high on my all time hit parade of favorite flowers. Not only do you have great color in the blossoms but equally fantastic leaf structure. They remind me of water lily pads neatly tiered. This leaf arrangement however is only seen in the garden, for once they are picked the leaves become a tumbled mass. So, for this painting, I simply arranged them from my imagination....where most of this stuff comes from.
Like last weeks roses ( Seaside Roses), I placed them against a clear sky and a cool blue oceanscape. Cool is the key word here. Nasturtium flowers are hot., hot in color that is. To make them even hotter I placed them amongst cool green leaves and blue sky.
WARM / COOL CONTRAST: TEMPERATURE IN PAINTING
Color has visual temperature. We say " red hot" and Ice blue" to express the extremes. Basically, red, orange and yellow are warm, with blue, green and violet being cool. In between colors are yellow -green and red-violet.
WARM
Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
No. 5, No.22, 1950
oil on canvas, 10' x 9'
The Museum of Modern Art, NY
COOL
Vincent Van Gogh ( 1853-1890)
The Starry Night, Saint Remy, June 1889
Oil on canvas, 30" x 36"
The Museum of Modern Art, NY
WARM / COOL CONTRAST
Paul Cezanne (1834-1906)
Fruit and Jug on a Table
oil on canvas, 12" x 16"
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Balance ( harmony) is very vital in my compositions.
I have already mentioned Light / Dark contrast (value) as an important component in painting. As we enter the realm of color things get complicated. So, as I move along I will try to break down the elements in my paintings right to the basics.
Oh, did I mention that I have been invited to exhibit a painting or two in a New York City gallery during July and August?
More on that later.
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