Sunday, November 7, 2010

Hello, Charcoal Wall

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In what is a bold-for-me choice, I am following an impulse to paint one or two walls in my studio  this deep charcoal. If I hate it once it’s done, I can repaint it. No doubt without my husband’s help the second time around, however.

I’ve debated a host of color options but I keep coming back to the idea of a smoky dark wall – or maybe two -- against ivory colored walls.

 

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I’ve tested golds and ochres and even some greens – but no go. The golds were too overpowering, the greens seemed nice but the charcoal kept calling me back. And you KNOW what we all say about listening to that little voice inside. I hung this small piece up to gauge how my work would look against bright versus dark backdrops. The dark definitely makes it pop.

Aside from all these intense color contemplations, I finished my latest Pages piece. Professional photography would give this a whole lot better definition, but this Coolpix snapshot at least gives you the basic idea of what “Clean Slate, New Chapter” looks like. It’s 20” x 20” and mounted on window screening which has been stretched and stapled to a canvas wrapped stretcher frame. I hope people will understand the idea and take the time to appreciate it because it is so subtle.  This will hang at the Rochester Contemporary member exhibition until the beginning of January.

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I’m working on a grouping of these where the pages will  begin to fill with marks and the meaning begins to reveal through the writing.

I haven’t the foggiest idea of whether this is going to work but I’m having fun envisioning these evolving!

5 comments:

  1. I like it! I've been thinking of painting a small wall too. White does not do much for setting off art work. Your work looks great against the gray!

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  2. Thanks, Leslie, after nine years of living with white studio walls, it is definitely time to add some pizazz.

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  3. I will be interested to hear how you feel about charcoal walls once you have them fully painted. We have had a much lighter gray on the walls of our livingroom for years. The walls go through beautiful color shifts throughout the day.

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  4. Don't you find it interesting that we FEEL color?? That it's not just a visual response, but an emotional one as well. A whole other subject, eh??

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  5. I love the charcoal color. BUT if you don't like it you will have to prime it before you put another color on. The other color that came to mind would be a deep mustard which is also strong and vibrant. BUT I do love that charcoal.

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