I have been working on two panels that are inspired by Paul Klee's Bluehendes series. In some way they are coming along and evoke the feeling that I had in mind. But not quite. I shall continue working on them. However, it may be a month before I return from a trip to Portugal and Switzerland. In Portugal I will explore the countryside, Lisbon and Porto with my husband, all the time collecting colors to inspire new works. In Switzerland I shall do the same, and in addition go to museums that exhibit the works of Itten and Klee.
Other than all this rambling and collecting of color, I will play around in my sketchbook while Josef talks to his family in their native tongue. I will drink in the warm and crazy conversations and antics, and make them all laugh when I try to say "chuchichäschtli". They love it.
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It's really important for an artist to make time to attend at least a couple artist receptions a month, and not just the same galleries where you are familiar with people, but a variety of them. I really used to struggle with this, as I was so busy that it seemed to be one more task added on to a big pile to-do's.
Here's what helped me; I have a quiet nature, and I just had a hard time getting started, so I just had to get used to the fact that I would probably stand alone for a while. (I still do). I learned to ask questions. Ask about the featured artist's process. Ask other attendees if they know the process; that starts another conversation. Ask them if they are an artist, it's always a compliment. Here's a really amazing technique. Stick your hand out and say, " Hi, I'm So-and-So". I'm not kidding. It took seemingly, a very long time for me to get to the obvious. I was at a reception, I knew no one. I heard a nice gentleman say, "Hi, I'm Jay". You'll think I'm nuts, but a light went on! And I thought that was the best thing since sliced bread. People enjoy meeting a smiling person who is interested in them. I still get a little quiet when I first enter an art reception where I am unfamiliar with the other attendees, but the more I do it, the more fun it is. It's really so easy that I feel silly writing this. But I know there a a number of people out there for many reasons who are just like me. Try it, it gets easier, and the reward is many new friends. Oh, and remember to smile! Quite honestly, I'm not sure where this is leading. I know how I want it to FEEL. Looking at it today it seems to be going in too many directions. Sometimes the colors just don't seem to be working, and this is one of those times. The 2 canvases that I am currently painting are heavily influenced by Paul Klee's "Bluehendes" series, but with my process. I'll need to step aside and not try to be Klee, and rather be Jill with a reflection Klee. This really differs from my usual color palette, and that's great, because my work is about
e x p l o r i n g. Today I started a new painting to complement the one I started yesterday. It makes sense to me to design the paintings in pairs, as it allows for a greater scope and discovery of the palette as well as offering the option of extending the painting to a diptych effect or just a complement piece relating on an adjacent wall. The dark tones are quite dark and are a little bit difficult to see their hue, but it will be quite striking when the adjacent blocks are painted.
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Luminous Color Explorations
My name is Jill Keller Peters, and I am passionate about using color as a language to Archives
August 2020
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