We all need a little color (plus: another new painting!)

“Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing?” Picasso 

Holding all of us in my heart this morning in the wake of more tragedy. I took this photo the other day of Isaac and a friend hugging and it’s been the reminder I’ve needed that love is still a strong force that all of us can hold on to no matter what.

And in my art world lately: one of my favorite parts of painting is layering different colors near one another and feeling that little jolt of joy when they make each other brighter and more vibrant. Certain colors combinations do this naturally (like orange and blue, green and red, yellow and purple), but there are so many variations to try.

When I set out to create this new piece, my goal was a simple layout, a simple background, and a vibrant little character full of color.

Here’s where the painting started:

Hummingbird! I created this sketch in Maine after seeing numerous hummingbirds up close. I love how small and bright and fast they are. Here are a few progress shots as the painting came together:

Here’s the print as I was testing final colors and layout, etc:

And here’s how the print looks matted and framed:

The print is already available in the shop in two sizes. Check out the details here.

I’ll leave you today with one of my favorite quotes:

Nobody has the power to take two steps together. You can only take one step at a time (Osho). 

I take these words to heart, especially when creating new art. Any finished art piece I do has gone through so many stages and ideas and false starts, followed by excitement when things finally come together. That’s part of the reason I like to share my in-progress images with you – taking one step at a time will still lead you somewhere beautiful in the end, even if it takes you longer to get there. What a good reminder, yes?

Have a great day!