color inspiration.

May 17, 2007

I LOVE color. I mean, who doesn’t? I still remember the first time I saw just how much color was in shadows, in a face, or in clouds.

Sometimes I have no idea what I’m doing with it, but I always know when it feels ‘just right’. I love layering transparent colors to create new colors. I love texturing similar colors on top of each other or collaging complementary colors next to each other. I love using color palettes that are moody, simple, surreal, sophisticated, or surprising.

Sometimes color comes natural for me, and other times it’s a challenge. Sometimes I know what colors a painting will be before I begin, and other times I search for them. Some days I paint with the colors I’m wearing, completely oblivious to the fact until my husband points it out to me. Other days I look for inspiration in the landscape out my window.

Years ago when I first started working as an illustrator at Hallmark, Vivien Flesher came to give a lecture about her work. She is awesome–I love the way she draws and how she uses color. She shared something that day that has stuck with me since then. She showed us a simple photo she took of a public swimming pool–the steps going into the pool, the reflections in the water of greens, blues, and pinks, a red towel over the fence and the gray-brown-purple concrete patio around the pool. She then showed us one of her paintings she did using the same color palette from this photo. A light bulb went off for me as I thought, “oh, color palettes are everywhere, free of charge,” and I began taking photos of miscellaneous subject matter for color inspiration. Sometimes I’ll tape a photo up to my wall while I paint and let the colors influence my piece.

Last summer I led a workshop at American Greetings, and as an experiment, we used photos to inspire us as we painted huge sheets of paper with abstract shapes and textures in the same color palettes–free flowing like stream of conscious writing exercises. Later they cut these up to create collages inspired by drawings they made with their “other” hand. It was simply an exercise to get them out of their normal way of thinking, I think it worked so well! The artists made some really awesome images, AND found new color palettes they hadn’t used before.

Last year when I was traveling in Nepal and India, I took tons of photos which have been a great source of color inspiration for me. I thought I’d share some of them.

Where do you find inspiration for the colors you use?

Posted in india, inspiration, nepal, travel | 9 Comments »

9 Responses to “color inspiration.”

Lisa Says:
May 17th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
What a wonderful treat. I love all the colors in your photos. One of my favorite scenes from a movie is when Diego Rivera has Frida Kahlo describe the colors in a cloud. At first she says, “white”, but then she notices all the other colors.

I am always struck by the colors of nature and how they work together so beautifully. Nothing ever looks out of place.

Thank you for a beautiful and very thought-provoking post.

Red Fish Circle Says:
May 17th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Oh Jenny, I love your photos. Thanks for sharing. The colors in India are so much more vibrant than you see in most places. I can see one of the reasons why you would love it there.

Color is often “the” thing that gets me going on a project, I am a color junkie. I don’t know if you feel this way too, but color theory, lectures, books, etc. make me a little nervous – I much prefer to just look around and find what works intuitively like you are doing with the photos- and experiment. And as Lisa said, nature is the best teacher of all when it comes to color theory.

lee Says:
May 17th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
I just love all the colours. My favourite one is the beans, what a fabulous combo. Thanks for letting us see your vision regarding color.

Anonymous Says:
May 18th, 2007 at 4:44 am
YUM! Oh man…. love this!

I collect photos from magazines and put them into a big scrap book. Mostly house photos, but I throw in paint chips from the hardware store (I can’t help but take 10 of those home everytime I’m there)… I find this inspirational when I’m working fer sher. :)

Color is my favorite. :)

-penelope

coloredsock Says:
May 18th, 2007 at 4:58 am
i’m so happy you like the photos! i got so many puzzled looks from Indians who would gather in groupls around me while i was taking pictures of a textured wall or a load of laundry laying on the ground to dry!

Lisa, when i moved to New Mexico, i thought at first, oh it’s so ‘desert-y’ out here, so brown. but OH-MY the colors are absolutely krazy in the clouds and sky and sunsets here!! and the light is unlike any other…how it plays on the mountains and mesa and forest and is always changing dramatically. Amy–NM would be the best classroom for ‘color theory’.

Penelope…i have a box of those paint chips, too! wouldn’t it be so fun to “name” the colors??
jenny

Anonymous Says:
May 19th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Jenny,
I can drink your colors into my lungs and swish them around in my blood….

I think I first discovered color on the Big Sur coastline where the tide pools are full of neon colors-

then when I went to Venice Italy–that is when it really sunk in–I thought How could I possibly use black and white film here? The richness of the yellows and the depth of the blues and reds–oh my oh my

and now living high up in the mountians with spring just breaking through I want to drench myself in greeeeeeen–I can’t stop wearing it(I never use to)and each day I go out hunting for a little more green to fill my well!
Blessing
Asia

jovaliquilts Says:
May 26th, 2007 at 4:58 am
I saw your blog for the first time this week but have come back several times to see this post. Gorgeous! Thanks so much for putting up these photos and talking about color.
Cheri