Purple/Yellow Moses-Botkin Challenge May 2010

We never quit amazing me! Artists, that is. This month's challenge was the brainwave of Robin Cheers...Do a painting with only two complementary pigments, in this case, purple and yellow (white allowed but no black).

I used Cobalt Violet (Grumbacher Artist's Quality) and Cadmium Lemon (WinsorNewton Artist's). In retrospect, I wish I had used a stronger purple because my darks were limited. BUT, it was a great exercise to know my dark purple was as dark as it could be, so to get more value range I had to use more yellow and white. And, WHY didn't I think to MIX my purple. So typical of me...must have been my left analytical brain in control!

Hmmm. wonder if my cohorts kept their purple mixtures constant...? And if so, fully mixed...? Otherwise, you could go to the red side or to the blue side and still be 'purple', but would yield a few more 'tones'. Of course, most tubes are 'admixtures' in the first place.  My chosen purple contains a cobalt (Pv14) and a Manganese (PB16). It is always interesting to be aware of what is in your tube although I am not a chemist and don't have a clue where the red is coming from!

"PY Study"
©2010 Vicki Ross
9x12 oil on panel 

with Cobalt Violet and Cadmium Lemon + White

"Sliced Plum on Wood Block"
©2010 Jeanne Illenye

5x5 inches / oil on panel 

YELLOW:  cadmium yellow

PURPLE:  cadmium red + french ultramarine blue

"Study in Complements"
8x10 oil on panel
©2010 Robin Cheers

 Purple: Ultramarine Blue and Quinacridone Red
And Hansa Yellow / white

"Sofia" 

© 2010 Suzanne Berry

16x20" oil on canvas

"Dancer at the Bar"
©2010 Diana Moses Botkin

Oil on hardboard 7"x5"

Sleepyhead updated

Don't faint and fall out! VickiLou (aka Red), painted today (Sunday)!

Strong light in upper left corner is my fault.

"Sleepyhead"

©2010 Vicki Ross

18x24" Pastel on Wallis Paper

'Sleepyhead' still needs some final touches, but I cautiously optimistic that it is close. This little guy, Leo, is French. We met him on our first visit to La Bonne Etoile, and Randy gave Leo his white Arkansas Razorback hat. The photo in the lower right is what his mom and dad sent us later that year...Leo wearing "the hat".

The photo in the lower left was taken in the front door of his home.This painting has been a real journey, from the block-in that was 2 times life size, to Beemer walking over the remodel.

I started this as a full sheet pastel painting and ended up with too much background. Got the bright idea of making it a Trompe l'oeil 'fool the eye'. Traditionally done in oil, it is not as easy in pastel because you have to deal with the texture of the paper and the pastel stick.

Enjoy the slideshow (there are some out of order)!