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15 June 2010

Grapes

Never Blue with Purple 6x6 Oil on linen panel

In the movie, the Door in the Floor, Kim Basinger warns her young tenant(? sorry, I don't want to get into the plot, here) about color compatibility. I think it was "Never pink with lilac". And recently a neighbor mentioned learning never to put blue and purple together. There are so many rules floating around that probably began as paragraphs with perfectly sound logic. But every time the rule is repeated, something gets left off and we end up with a pronouncement that makes us wonder. Huh?
Maybe two hundred years ago a farmer was mixing a salve for his horse's wounded leg and told his daughter, "Never mix gentian blue with purple loosestrife."
What do you think?

8 comments:

Nina Rochette said...

Is this another from the class or did you do it this week? Very nicely done. Anyway, those aren't purple, they're CAD RED MEDIUM! (just kidding)

Dale Sherman Blodget said...

Haha. If I had used a Cad Red Medium for the background, maybe the grapes would look purple.
I did this one yesterday, trying to practice painting in a completely different way from before the workshop.
Thanks for looking and correcting my color description, Nina. :)

dacoop said...

I love this little painting and the blog about color, particularly the horse reference...funny!

Melanie Sherman said...

I'm totally sure that is what the farmer said. Other than that, I like the red grapes on the grayish background.

Dale Sherman Blodget said...

Thanks Dana.
And Melanie, the idea about gentian blue came from Geo's old barn with the zillions of old cob-webbed bottles, one of which was labeled thus.
I'm excited to do another grape painting now - red and gray. Thanks!

Lisa Daria said...

yes, the minute I think about rules - I can't paint - it's true - I just have to do what feels right and, well, that changes a lot!

Nicki said...

Rules shmules! Hee hee. I say break 'em! If I'm not mistaken, didn't Monet do gorgeous things with blues and purples? And probably pinks and lilacs!

Looks like you had a successful learning experience at the workshop.

I found you through Barbara Muir's blog.

Nicki

Dale Sherman Blodget said...

Hi Lisa and Nicki,
thanks for stopping by my blog. I appreciate your comments.