Ireland - Beara Peninsula. All photos: L Kennedy
Artists, know thy greens.
During the lead up to St. Paddy’s Day, we’re going to develop our sensitivity to green. When the big day comes, you won’t just order a green beer; you’ll have the discernment to order yours sage, spruce, or sea-foam. Make mine more of an avocado.
This week the assignment is to notice all the different greens around you. Look up now: see all the variations of green in the room you’re in and think up names for them. Good descriptive names; there’s no “plain green”. Next week, we’ll practice mixing greens. This week you’ve got it easy while you work on your rose (lesson#9).
When last in Ireland, I played this “name the color” game. But not with greens.
Who wants ten days of gray? Not I. I had dove, slate, burnished pewter, silver, and platinum days. Waking up to another rainy day (slate, nickel, and gull feather), the proprietress would come singing in with my porridge, ” Such a lovely “soft” day.”
We Irish, it’s only sometimes that we think all the world is a Guinness.
Enjoy your greens. Leave your list in the comments section.
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I’m enjoying all the weekly art lessons but am especially getting a kick out of the videos.
Thanks Jean,
There was going to be a video this week, but it didn’t work out. So I tried another, but it was late at night and my markers ran out ( it was going to be on ellipses, so I tried another, and with that concept the colors didn’t show enough … and it was going to be on different greens. Good thing I’m full of malarkey and could come up with a substitute at the last minute. Now, I’ve got a week to figure out a way to get the colors better… if I start before Friday.
Thanks so much for your feedback. It is ALWAYS appreciated.
L-O-V-E the virtual trip to Ireland! Your descriptive words are GREAT! …plus, I watched your video about the NY trip three times. I want to go soooo badly, but this year won’t work out…next year?
Thanks Margaret,
I edited the post – so the virtual trip that you took may no longer be there. My initial tall tale was distracting from the art lesson. I had thought that it was hysterical, but when post critic, Dr. Robert Feuerstein, couldn’t figure out what I thought Lady Bantry was doing, I removed it. Husbands are so influential, but you know that!
I will be doing the NYC trip next year. I’m going to make it annual. Lots of people can’t swing it this year.
Thanks for your continued interest.
Love the Irish pictures. Having been there, I know that 40 shades of green are only the beginning! They also change with every nuance of the light. Some days the light makes it seem like you are underwater.
Glad to hear about the New York trip. Next year I may be able to do it. We’ll see.
Lillian you never fail to offer an inspiration to crack through the stumbling blocks of painting. The greens are no malarky! They are mind bending and looking back on some of my first paintings, it was always the greens that stumped me! Now I understand that it’s limiting to believe that I have to only use Sap or Hookers or Permanent Light. Mix, mix, mix!!! So that’s the secret! Thank you so much!
Re: NYC– yay! Hope next year I will also be able to do it! Will you be going to York?
Miss you so much!
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