How To Paint A Gray Picture

February 18, 2020

It may seem counterintuitive to begin a gray painting with colors this bright and unharmonious. But that’s how I like to do it. First I stir up some trouble on the canvas and then I try to regain control.

In this underpainting the seriously bad actor is the viridian at the bottom of the canvas. Fortunately the gold ochre acts as a referee, keeping that sick green away the magenta and pink. But further measures are needed to get THAT problem child to toe the line.

This could be interesting!

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

“Right now I need a Telecaster through a Vibrolux turned up to 10!” ~ John Hiatt

Two Generations: Rooted in Color

I hope all of you can join us for an artist’s reception at The Myrna Loy Center in Helena, Montana this Friday from 5:30 ’til 7:00!  My artist daughter Sarsten and I are honored with a two person exhibit through the end of February.  Looking at the paintings for the show I was struck by our similar color sensibility.  Even though our subject matter is very dissimilar, and we work in different mediums, there is a common thread.

The bond of color is a strong one!

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall

My Sunday Morning Confession

I was riding up the chairlift on Sunday morning with an architect friend of mine from Minnesota. He mentioned that he had been looking at my work, and that my color combinations reminded him of a book he had read in college, Josef Albers’ Color Interaction. I confessed that I steal frequently and unrepentantly from Albers! His work on color never fails to inspire me. If a painting is “stuck” and I think color might be the issue, I look to Albers’ book for what is, for me, almost divine guidance.

There are only a handful of books I believe belong on every artist’s shelf. This is one of those. You will never see color the same way again.

Let’s keep in touch,

Marshall