My Version Of

11x14 inches, acrylic on illustration board

I think one reason I read other people's art blogs is that I want to learn, to get ideas, to grow. One aspect of watercolor that doesn't always thrill me is lack of really intense color. Sometimes I crave it, as some folks crave chocolate. Acrylics allow for that intensity.

Sometime back I subscribed to a newsletter by an acrylic painter named Robert Burridge, an artist whose workshops have always appealed to me, though I have not spent the money or time to attend one. His newsletters and his blog have ideas for using color effectively, and his use of complements really calls to me. This painting, finished this morning, is essentially a copy of his demonstration. I learned something doing it about using color to create a focal point. The yellow and white in the center really does pull in the eye, and the way he uses the blue and orange is effective as well. No real emphasis on slavish detail here, just suggestions of shape and lots of color. I was interested in the way he pulls colors from the bunch of flowers into the bottoms of the vase as well. Maybe the vases of zinnias I bought at the farmers market this weekend made me want to paint something floral.

Check out his site here: http://www.robertburridge.com/index.html

Quick follow-up note: I framed this painting using a craft store pre-cut mat and black sectionals. I had a brain storm and bought an old and faded 16x20 framed print from my local consignment shop for $2.00, simply to get the glass. The total framing cost came in at just under $20.