Fall Intensity

It's been great weather for painting this fall. I have started a couple large paintings and worked on many small paintings. In the past painting fall colors has been a challenge for me due the fall saturated colors.

In Carver Street painting below, I used the orange tree to the right, as a focal point. All the reds are neutrals, except the focal point which draws you in with intensity.

Carver Street Morning

Beach Forest Fall Morning is an example of a sunny morning light key. I see  the morning light a little cooler than late afternoon light key. I slightly cool the yellows and reds, so they aren't so intense.

Looking for the atmospheric colors in nature will create color harmony between the reds and the greens. 

Beach Forest Fall Morning

Changing My Palette

I have often heard it said  by more experienced artist's that if your having trouble with your colors take certain "Go To" colors off your palette so you can find different solutions for your paintings.
I'm a restless spirit that always wants to try new ideas out.
Recently I read an article In Plein Air magazine about the work of Anne Blair Brown. I like Brown's simple palette and think she's a good painter. Her choices of colors are limited. Anne uses Ultramarine Blue, alizarin crimson, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium red light , cadmium yellow light, cadmium yellow deep, yellow ochre, and titanium white.

The first painting of Provincetown east end, is totally using the limited Brown palette. All the greens are   mixed. Amazing to me how earthy the results are. The only color I didn't use was Burnt Sienna (I hope Anne will forgive me).

The Second painting is limited except I added Maganese Blue Hue, and under painting of permanent Rose. I just need to use a rich blue for the sky. I think the sky it's truly different on the Cape.

In the last Painting of Wellfleet, I added a couple more colors, orange and a touch of cadmium green in the foreground.

I loved the results I was able to achieve using a limited palette . There seems to be an interesting color harmony.  Using this type of palette is a good way to find other solutions for grays and greens and not always staying with your comfortable colors.
In the end I still love my impressionist palette of magenta, rose, green, maganese blue hue. I plan on making more paintings using other palettes in the near future."Let's face it if I put the paint on with my hands and used three colors it wouldn't look like anyone painted it but me"!