Your Painting Will Reflect Your Palette
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Your Painting Will Reflect Your Palette
I was teaching at a venue in Michigan a couple of years ago which has multiple workshops being taught each week. It’s a very lovely place and has multiple buildings on campus. The week I was there I was sharing a house with Kevin Beilfuss, who is an outstanding figurative painter and workshop instructor. He and I talked a good bit during the week and even though we paint very different things, we teach almost the same content to or students.
He mentioned to me one of the things he teaches is that your painting will reflect your palette. I had never thought much about that idea before, but the more we talked about it, the more sense it made to me. If your palette is organized and the colors are fully mixed, and you have a concept for your color direction, your painting will reflect that. If your palette is complete chaos, jumping from one little paper plate to the next with no organization and no concept of direction or color, your painting will reflect that chaos as well.
To me, it’s all about the preparation to paint. have found that the more preparation I do with my palette, the less decisions I have to make while painting. I also use the time preparing my palette almost as meditation time. I learned this idea in college where I befriended a professional artist from China. He taught me how to paint with Chinese ink, and how to grind it on a circular stone prior to painting. The grinding not only prepared the ink for painting, the time spent doing so also, and more importantly, prepared the mind for painting.
My time spent preparing my palette gets me completely ready to paint. I choose a color direction, then choose my paints based on that color direction, then begin mixing what I need for the painting. All the while I am preparing myself mentally for the work.
Do your paintings reflect your palette?
If you'd like to learn about abstract painting and making your own authentic work, then please join me for a painting workshop: (You can view a list of remaining 2020 workshops HERE)
July 15-17 David M. Kessler Fine Art Studio, Winston-Salem, NC. For information and registration Click Here. Only 3 Seats Left!
August 20-22 Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL. For information and registration Click Here.
September 9-11 David M. Kessler Fine Art Studio, Winston-Salem, NC. For information and registration Click Here.
September 18-20 Santa Fe Artist Getaway, Santa Fe, NM. For information and registration Click Here.
November 4-6, 2020 David M. Kessler Fine Art Studio, Winston-Salem, NC Click Here for Information and Registration
November 14-15, 2020 Art of the Carolinas, Raleigh, NC Click Here for Information and Registration
December 2-4, 2020 Hill Country Arts Foundation Ingram, TX Click Here for Information and Registration
As always, thanks for your support!
David
Simple Color System Colorwheel
If you have seen my videos on YouTube or taken one of my workshops, you have seen me use my Simple Color System Colorwheel. My Simple Color System is easy to use and assures that the color in your paintings will be harmonious. Proudly made in North Carolina.
You can purchase the Colorwheel HERE.
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