African Violet Collection
The Basics of Color Mixing Magic
When learning color mixing, there are three (3) sets of opposite colors to remember:
Color Set #1-CHRISTMAS colors: Red & Green
Color Set #2-EASTER colors: Yellow & Purple
Color Set #3-SUNSET colors: Orange & Blue
In discussing the definition of a color, let’s work with the Color set #1, the Christmas Colors, red and green. “Red” is defined as any color that has ANY KIND of red in the paint mixture…rust, rose, pink, coral, burgundy, orange-red, red-orange, wine, grape, purple, etc. The definition of a color such as “Green”, Red’s opposite on the color wheel, is the same. So, this set of opposite colors gives us MANY forms of reds and greens to work with. Think of color set #2 and #3 in this same way and you will have hundreds of colors to paint with. However, it is very difficult to ever mix the exact same color again because if you combine white, black, and yellow you will be able to mix 739 readable colors. The lesson here is to mix enough color in the FIRST mixture that you will need to use for your painting. I always like to mix extra, more than I think I will need.
Many times in painting we need subdued colors and these are made by toning down a color with its opposite on the color wheel, i.e., tone down “any” red with “any” green using the above definition. Technically it is called neutralizing a color or being able to tone down a color to soften it or take the intensity out of it…when taken to the extreme half and half of the red mix and the green mix we create a taupe or gray which equals a “neutral”. A taupe color of the half and half mix will have more of the warm color creating it and the gray color of the half and half mix will have a bit more of the cool color in it.
It you wish to breathe live into your painting, try putting opposite colors next to each other on your paper or canvas. Always try to paint with full spectrum color and your painting will become magical!
Adding Watercolor
Dale Sherman is one of my students in the Wednesday afternoon class. She paints with a great group of ladies that really enjoy working with each other. She has worked diligently through all the drawing projects and is now painting beautifully. This painting is of some water lilies she photographed in a pond. We are all watching and learning from her as she brings it to completion. This painting is a really pretty one. One of the things we adjusted was adding much additional image information that is not on the photograph. This makes it her original artwork.
Dale Sherman is one of my students in the Wednesday afternoon class. …
DANCINGINTHEGARDEN.COM
It is a White Christmas
It is s White Christmas!
It is Christmas time again and we have our first 8”snow I can ever remember. I can never remember one in the Atlanta GA area this early in the year or as many inches. There has been only one other snow that I remember about 10 years ago that was a dusting, an inch, that was just the week before Christmas. So this is a magnificent occasion. We southerners are not used to White Christmases but we love it when it might happen and this really did happen! I got out in it took pictures and this evening put on my show boots from the northeastern states where I do flower shows and went out again getting the long pruning pole and beat the snow off the camellias (they are in bloom) and shrubs (still blooming) and small trees so they wouldn’t break apart under the heavy wet snow. My husband thought I was truly out of my mind.
We have had a good year in many ways as Bob has a great job now. He is selling residential and commercial mortgages and is in love with his work. Things have changed from having him home with me to just seeing him on the weekends…During the week it is mostly Hi & Bye. I have been working closer to home now just doing a few local shows, teaching classes 3 days a week, and painting and gardening. I have needed to de-stress to help my health so I had to give up some of the shows that are so far away from home. I do miss seeing all of you at the shows! So many of you I have really looked forward to seeing if only twice a year. To help the problem of cutting back on the shows I have created a way for you to be able to order something that you have wanted, actually easily, on a Facebook Shopify website…www.maryboothcabot.com. It has been a great deal of data entry but I have had a great teacher and now it is basically finished and being used. It was opened or posted for use Nov 22. I like it and I hope you will too. Please do let me know of any typos or discrepancies you might find…I welcome your comments good and bad. You are always welcome to contact me and chat and catch up with each other…or ask questions about something or workshops and classes. I also have a new blog on gardening, plants, painting and art…www.dancinginthegarden. You might enjoy reading it. Oh, yes, I almost forgot, I am taking the University’s course in Master Gardening January-March 2018. It will be great to learn more new things about my ‘love of plants’ hobby.
Bob’s children are all well and happy. His daughter, Ali, is teaching yoga in Costa Rica and living in thatched roof open sided dwellings and loving it. His son, Drew, is taking care of work and his dog while his girlfriend is studying for 4 months in Japan, and his daughter, Sara, has moved to the mountains of West Virginia and enjoying country life. His brother, Dick, is in love and recently married to a wonderful woman named Jackie. His sisters Allene and Sally are both better than ever. My nephew, David Booth, has helped me by working on painting the house interior and helping with other things around the house and garden after we had a tree go down hitting the house this past May.
Bob and I want to take a moment and tell you all how much we have enjoyed having you be part of our extended family. Each one of you have blessed and enriched our life in some very special way. Because of you our life is full of enjoyment, love, and rich memories. Please do stay