Why I Love PINK
Confession: It is a REAL challenge for me not to use pink in every painting. A real first-world struggle.
“Pink is the color of passion.” —Aerosmith
Disclaimer: This is a pink appreciation post. All haters of the color pink can swiftly exit stage left.
Confession: It is a REAL challenge for me not to use pink in every painting. A real first-world struggle. Thing is, pink, whether it’s millennial pink, bubblegum pink, magenta, fuschia, or mauve, (yes, I can identify the difference between all of these hues and shades) plays well with other colors.
Pink has the power to add a touch of femininity or can add a playful contrast to darker colors like navy blue. I especially live for pinks and greens together—especially a blushy coral with olive green. Perhaps I should have pledged AKA in college.
Pink draws the eye to itself and often can neutralize a chaotic painting. Its bold yet soft presence makes it equally feminine and masculine in my humble opinion.
Mornings Are For Planning (and Coffee)
From my desk, the lighting really hits its peak around 8 am-9 am. With the one hour of optimal sunlight at my workstation, I brew a pot of coffee and sit with my work. What am I looking for? It depends.
Mornings are my time to sit with the work I’ve recently created.
From my desk, the lighting really hits its peak around 8 am-9 am. With the one hour of optimal sunlight at my workstation, I brew a pot of coffee and sit with my work. What am I looking for? It depends. Sometimes I’m looking at the true color of a painting I’m currently working on, how it intertwines with the paper, and the layers that came before it. Other times, I’m admiring the texture that comes alive on the paper or canvas. It isn’t always obvious how the texture will materialize while I’m painting, so it’s always a pleasant surprise once it has dried.
Close up of “A Broody Mood”
I’ve always been a night owl. But as I get older, I’m learning to appreciate the dawn as a time to sit with my thoughts and plan my day before my son, Chai, wakes up. I can sprawl all my works-in-progress on the floor and think about what colors work, which pieces are done, and ready to be photographed, and so on.
The morning’s rays fade away from my workspace by 11 am, and at this time, I would have decided to paint, of which, I’ll have until 2 pm to do so before all natural light is gone (at least the decent light for painting).
Abstract painting often gets the reputation of being thoughtless art. As an abstact painter, I can say that it’s one of the most thoughtful methods of painting. I’m constantly thinking of the implications of each brushstroke, my color choice, and what each mark is saying. The mornings allow me to focus on the vibe I’m trying to convey so when it’s time to paint, I know what needs to happen…at least for the most part.
