Core Series 2, 15 x 30, oil on canvas

 

This is the end result of direct painting for two days.  I like the way the images are floating on the surface of texture long ago established for another painting.  These are markings into gesso.  The color choice was delegated by the background but also depicts my mood these days.  I go from extreme clarity to muddiness and back again.  Below are the steps I took today to get to this image.

Painters are color mixologists.  I mixed this color today for my mid-tones.  I knew I could lighten it for my brightest area and darken it as needed.  I already had my darkest value established which was a mixture of burnt umber and purple.  This is a mixture of orange and purple.  I like to use color compliments to tone a color down.  I usually only use 2 or three colors on a painting.  I like the simplicity of a limited color palette.  My color palette was devised many years ago when I studied Munsell.

 

I painted in the mi-tones over yesterdays underlying structure.
 

Next I added some darker values back into all three cores.

 

The painting will sit in the studio and simmer for a while where I will tweak it here and there.