Maine: Color Planning in Painting

We are back at Bob’s wonderful place on the water at Marshall Point this morning. I want to do another painting of the house I painted there last week – “Mainely for Vacation”

I had a Eureka moment yesterday afternoon as I  completely cleaned my palette to put in clean colors for the next day.  Wednesday was a difficult day and I did not complete a painting I was happy with.  I decided that my colors might be too old and tired. I was getting grayed versions and my colors lacked energy. I told myself I would shrug off the bad aspect of the day and begin anew. Cleaning – or cleansing my palette (not to be confused with cleansing my palate) seemed like a great idea…

I commandeered the Craignair’s backyard hose and scrubbed my plastic watercolor palette squeaky clean. It’s quite a chore because the watercolor pigment never seems to quit. It reminded me of the time I was staying at my mother’s house and I put my palette in her dishwasher to clean it; it cleaned it alright but also left a blue tint from the Phtalo Blue (also know by its full name, Phthalocyanine Blue), a strong staining color. Mom was a bit upset with me and I don’t blame her – I know never to attempt that again!

So here I am in a color mode and ready to tackle the next day with a fresh, open mind – maybe not unlike how Tiger Woods might shrug off a bad shot into a water hazard. 

After cleaning my palette, I put it down on the floor in my room. That’s when I noticed that the rug colors were similar to last week’s painting of the red house. I examined the colors closely and got excited about the interesting color combinations. Call me an art geek, I guess…

I grabbed my camera and pulled the rug out (literally) from all of the furniture to get a little afternoon sunlight on it to photograph it. That’s when I made an important discovery: I found a $1,000 bill under the rug. No, just kidding…

I decided to use the colors (if I can find or create similar ones from the paints I have with me. If not, I can certainly attempt it back in the studio. I will probably use my butcher tray because I most likely will not want these colors on my permanent palette.

So, friends, neighbors, family and colleagues, there will be NO Maine paintings by Robert Leedy today – only an interesting lesson that one can find inspiration (and possibly $1,000 bills) in the most unlikely places. It only takes an open mind, a little perseverance, and, as I always say, a good sense of humor.

Come back tomorrow for Friday’s episode of Robert Leedy’s Watercolors in Maine. If there are technical difficulties, Robert Leedy’s How to Wrap Your Golf Club Around a Tree will be aired…

If you would like to comment on my method of inspiration for colors – or have your own little secret inspiration – I would gladly like to hear from you in the comments section below.

And now, what you have been waiting for: The Colors.

No, this is not a Robert Leedy watercolor. 

Rich darks, vibrant colors…

all from the same rug – just different views in different light…