I have a theory – Life, like art, needs lots of color. I was recently reminded of this when I was invited to participate in an art show where the theme was to be Mon-O-Chrome (or monochromatic paintings). I immediately remembered my very first oil painting. The still life painting of apples and leaves was done all in shades of green. At that point in my painting life, I had not yet learned that green is the most difficult color to match from nature. I also had not yet experienced very much of life at that point. I was truly “green” in every sense of the word. Over the decades a lot of color has been added to my life, marriages that failed and finally one that works very well, children born, children raised and grown, career goals met and some that were not, loss of parents and a sibling, theological growth, emotional growth… all the trials and tribulations of life that give living its shading from dark despair to bright sunny joy. Now, as I make a start on a monochromatic painting for this new show, I find nothing to recommend that style. Maybe if I do something all in shades of red I’ll like it better? But I think not. For all the heartache and pain, there is also much joy in life and we should focus on that. I may not even enter this art show – too boring.
Color Theory
