Sunday, December 14, 2008

"DULL" colours

There has been some talk on the quiltart list about colour....how to learn about it, how to experiment with it. Colour has always been problematic to me too, as every now and then, I get antsy about the palette I use over and over again....sort of the queen of blue/violet/red syndrome. Recently, I have been trying to explore other less appealing colour palettes and I must say, I am beginning to like more grayed down hues , especially when spiced up with a small amount of more saturated colour.
Two years ago at my first FOCUS ON FIBER at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, I spent time making a number of odd shaped colour sets. I THOUGHT I was trying to use duller colours with a touch of higher saturation. I look at them now, and see it was more DARK but fairly intense colours combined with lighter and higher value hues.







Two years later, once again I became impatient with my colours. This time I really did order some greyed down fabrics and started seeing what I could do with them. At the very least the colours certainly changed the mood of the work. This one is rather anxious and even gloomy:




This one is getting closer to the kind of more subtle colour range I was hoping for. I am going to continue this duller palette for a while, I think.










6 comments:

Terry Grant said...

I am trying to brighten my palette up a bit! I love the duller, to me, more complex colors and they always look good to me until I see one of my pieces hanging in a show next to something bright and zingy and my piece looks like it had spent time in a mud bath. I love that last piece of yours. Oh, those legs! they are wonderful. I always love the sense of volume you are able to get just by the shapes you create.

Gerrie said...

I love the luminous quality of the saturated colors against the darker/duller colors. Very effective!!

Leslie said...

Well, your dull colours really sparkle to me. Merry Yule, Pamelala.

beadbabe49 said...

When it comes to color I feel like a gemini...I see the quieter nature colors (muted greens, golds, rusts) and I love them and then I see the really colorful, vibrant colors you use and I sway over in that direction...I can't seem to make up my mind to stay with one or the other...

Vivien Zepf said...

"The Thinker" is so cool! It's very helpful to see an established artist such as yourself question your work and experiment with different paths, allowing your art to possibly evolve in a new direction. Thanks for sharing!

Judy said...

Pamela, That last piece is fantastic!!! I agree with Terry: the legs are phenomenal...and then there's that great pillow behind her butt!!!
I'm presently revisiting pieces that I began in the class I took from you in Atlanta...so much fun!!!

Happy 2009 to you!
Judy