Contrasts, Complements & Focal areas- Woods in Winter

Woods in Winter-Postcard
Postcard on Matte
8.5 by 5.5 (21.7 by 14 cm)
Reproduction of my painting,
Woods in Winter











This work is a reproduction I made of my painting, Woods in Winter.

In Woods in Winter, I wanted to convey the beauty of winter & snow but also isolation if we cannot go outside. I used the color blue, the coldest color on the color wheel & heightened its color by using its dulled complement, orange, in this case orange brown. The reflection of the sky is seen on the snow. The warm light strikes the tree & shines on the snow. The greatest contrast is the dark person & the light on the tree. This was my focal area. The partial tree in the foreground & the snow on its branches are soft & blurred. It was not my area of emphasis but it draws the viewer into the painting & provides a sense of depth.

Triangular Compositions - After the Dance

After the Dance
Acrylic on canvas and stretcher bars
10 by 10 inches (25.5 by 25.5 cm)

Sold.














In my painting, After the Dance, I wanted to emphasize the dancer’s fatigue after her hard work. The structural composition I used is triangular. The triangle starts at the top of the dancer’s head and moves down and along each leg. When a triangle is resting on its base in the vertical position, it gives a painting more stability. The location at the top of a triangle attracts the viewers’ eyes. The dancer’s head resting on her arms is at the top of the triangle; this gives the head and arms more dominance in the painting. Although the dancer is resting her head and arms on the chair, her feet are in a pointed position. Her lower legs are vertically positioned. The positioning of her lower legs and feet, are more powerful. This contrasts with the resting head and arms and therefore, the differences between these areas would be heightened. A triangular structure that is not in a vertical position is less stable and more active.

Glowing Colour - Evening Sail

Evening Sail
Acrylic on w/c paper & mount board
7 by 9 inches (17.85 by 22.95 cm)
8 by 10 inch (20.4 by 25.5cm) board

Not For Sale.














Evening Sail was inspired by the evening light flowing over the landscape and this light’s reflections on the water. The luminous glow of the painting was achieved by using two main colours, orange and blue. Orange and blue are complementary colours (colours directly opposite each other on the colour wheel). Both colours were dulled (reduced in intensity, muted). These dulled colours make each other brighter. When these complementary colours are beside each other, the differences between the colours are heightened. The painted layers, primarily of the dulled orange colour painted before and under the blue water, results in a glow that is seen over the entire painting.