Three little color studies

I wanted to mix an autumnal palette of colors I saw in Japan last November, before I lost the feeling for them. So I mixed my paints, and then over the holidays I made three little arrangements on canvas boards. I like the colors; only one of the experiments will lead anywhere.

The (iPhone) photos are crappy, and not a good reflection of the actual colors. “Illustration purposes only” and so on.

The last one owes a debt to Bridget Riley - I saw one of her black and white triangle paintings in Paris recently, and that made me want to get a feel for modulating triangles myself (though she also uses curves, which I won’t). I’m happy with the experiment, I think it’s the best use of these colors out of the three. I can create some really nice waves with triangles.

This is the smallest expression of the movement I could paint to get a feel for it - from this I can expand it into a “proper” painting at some point.

Painting this reminded me of how even if I understand in my mind how to create a pattern, it’s not until I physically draw it that I understand it properly. Or, it’s like once I’ve drawn something out, the idea is then moved to a different area of my brain, and I can then start thinking on top of that idea. This makes sense to me, but I could probably express it better.

I have to draw something to be able to really think about it. After drawing a new pattern, the brain is immediately" “and then you could do this, and then you could change that, and and and…” That doesn’t happen if I only think about how to draw a pattern.

While I doing this, I’ve been raiding my old CD collection and listening to them while I work. I had totally forgotten this Luke Vibert album, which came out in 2007. I must have listened to it a lot at the time, as listening to it again, I recognize it all. The first track, Comfycozy, is one of his loveliest, warmest tracks. Super happy to have rediscovered it!