On Making Color Charts

In my quest for learning how to oil paint, I have come to the conclusion I know very little about color theory and usually just go on my "instinct" when painting and choosing colors. I have read some on my own, but knew all along I need to get serious if I am going to meet some of the goals I have set for myself in this painting journey.

One of the most inspiring and encouraging artists that I personally know is Lori Putnam, a Nashville artist whose work I both admire and drool over! See her website here. Her work is fresh, loose, and just absolutely beautiful. She also has a couple of small booklets (which you can purchase at her website) about oil painting, plein air painting, and color theory that I have purchased that I consider some of the best material I have read on these subjects. And believe me, I have a book addiction, and if I showed you a photo of my shelves of books relating to painting and art, you would know I know what I am talking about! Her booklets are full of little gems of information that I might have read or heard somewhere before, but her way of presentation just sticks with me. Sometimes it is like that with learning.

Lori also has a wonderful blog that includes some valuable posts on many subjects relating to painting, but some very good ones on making color charts and using a 3 color plus white palette like she does. Now I know there are probably countless posts and book chapters out there on chart making, and there is no one right way, but I decided to just go with this and do them. I was not convinced that I could possibly get this many colors with just one tube of each primary and white. However, after doing the charts with Lori's detailed instructions, I am convinced. As most artists are, I am a visual learner for the most part and learn best by doing.

The main thing I learned after doing this exercise was this - I don't have to have every color paint that the manufacturers make in my painting supplies to make beautiful paintings. Now, I know that sounds simplistic, but somehow before I did these charts, I thought that the people who painted with a limited palette or even an expanded limited palette were just somehow born with some sort of talent or sense of color that I was not born with and I could never learn it and would have to buy my own yellow ochre for the rest of my painting career. There is nothing wrong with using a ton of paint tubes, but if you aspire to plein air paint much, it makes it rather difficult and cumbersome to use 20 different tubes out in the field.

Will I only paint with these 3 colors from here on out? I'm not sure yet and also know that it doesn't really matter right now. Some of the best advice that every artist that I have studied with has been something along the lines of "this is the way I do it, but you must find your own style and way of doing things." Great advice!

Dreama Tolle Perry Workshop

I just returned from a wonderful workshop with the fabulous and inspiring artist, Dreama Tolle Perry. It was held by a group of SUPER FUN people from the Artists on Main gallery and school in Goodletsville, TN. Led by the infamous David Gillahan (hey David!!), they are a group of artists on a journey to learn to paint and have fun together. David has classes at the gallery and let me just say, they really learn something there! He not only teaches about oil painting, but about friendship and support, which as artists, we all need! Most of the people in the workshop were David's students, but they made me feel so welcome and comfortable and I was so grateful for that. The photo below shows some of the workshop participants although some had already left by the time we took the photo.

I have been wanting to take a workshop with Dreama ever since I started painting again. Her beautiful use of color in her paintings always draws me in and the stories she writes along with them always make me smile. I was not disappointed at all and in fact, I would go back again and again just to study with her and hang out in the atmosphere she creates in her workshops. She is such a kind and graceful person, and immediately puts you at ease when the workshop begins with her attitude and humor. Also, she infuses so many pearls of wisdom throughout the workshop, you can't go home thinking anything else of your art but that you have something special to tell the world and you better get busy doing it! I have always tried to have a pretty positive outlook on my own work because I know I have to be my biggest fan (!!!), but she reiterates how important it is to look at what you want to say with your art and believe in yourself as you enjoy the process of painting, and not just the resulting artwork.

The painting above is one of the ones I completed in the workshop. I was able to use some colors of paint I had not used before and it was so fun! I also learned a lot about how to take my own reference photos that I photograph and add some fun elements to them in order to improve the composition and the color to make them more pleasing to the eye. For such a 'literal' person like me, this was eye opening and I now see so many more possibilities when looking through my photos I have in iPhoto.

I also included a photo of Dreama below with the beautiful smile on her face, which if you have met her before, will surely bring a smile to your face. Take her workshop if you have a chance.You, too, will not be disappointed!