The Alchemy of Colour
I can remember two events, clear as day, when the effect of colour just took hold of me. The first was when I was just starting out on my artistic journey. A sunset scene had silhouetted buildings across the water. Simple I thought, and on went the paint straight out of the tubes. That’s why they come in tubes eh, I thought, excited to paint. Of course the result was brash and unreal in an amateurish sort of way.
The second was a truly inspirational experience. Painting from a live model, I arranged my figure in blues with a little brown, working in oil – cerulean blue and raw sienna as I recall. Taking the image back to my studio, with paint now dry, I was ready to add skin tones. I mixed up a pretty vibrant colour, in order for it to assert itself over the blueness of my base. On went a swath…and bang! I was nearly thrown back across the room. The colour contrast was astounding. I just had to stop and call the painting finished.
Colour takes paintings to giddy heights or sends them to the depths with little in between. On the 4th and 5th of October we’re holding our first two-day workshop focused entirely on working with colour. We include some colour theory naturally, however the major focus will be its application in practice. For beginners, it will establish touchstone practices and accelerate artistic development. More experienced artists will come away with the confidence to develop new palettes, techniques and also the confidence to break rules with aplomb. The consummate impressionist Claude Monet remarked: “Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” Oil, Acrylic, Watercolour and Pastel artists are all welcome!
Weekend Workshops at the Shenkman
There’s still time to catch the annual OSA Instructor’s Exhibitions
Both the downtown and Orléans exhibitions are still on and run into October. If you have not yet had the opportunity to drop by, they are well worth a visit – and not just because I’m exhibiting. The breadth of art is impressive with over 50 instructors, both venues sensitively curated by the OSA’s own Cathy Brake. The ByWard campus Instructor’s exhibition runs to October 5th, whilst the Orléans campus exhibition continues on to October 19th.
…and in the wilder creative arts
David Suzuki Foundation rewilding arts prize, applications open until November 18th: https://davidsuzuki.org/take-action/act-locally/rewilding-arts-prize/
Picasso painting not seen for 80 years unveiled by Paris auction house: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/sep/18/picasso-painting-hidden-for-80-years-auction-paris
Woody Allen says Donald Trump was ‘a very good actor’: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/02/woody-allen-says-donald-trump-was-a-very-good-actor
Handling Fall Colours
Fall colour can be a bit overwhelming, all those full blown reds, oranges and yellows contrasting with strong complements – greens and blues. One good trick is to build in areas of low colour saturation or indeed no-colour at all. The eye picks up the distinction between colour and no colour as a contrast itself. Perhaps a little more subtle, but definitely there, so wash out some area of colour and build in some chromatic grays!
Break-a-Brush!
David & France