The Struggle - With Green

I appropriately selected for this blog posting, a picture I painted about a year ago, which I called 'The Struggle'.

Many artists have knee jerk reactions when they look at the colour green. I know of a few who refuse to use commercial greens in their works. And, I know one artist who says that she "point blank refuses to use green at all". I wouldn't go to that extreme, but I am amazed at how far you can bend colour perceptions and get away with it with green.

If you look at the tree line above the rocks in this work, you will see that green is almost conspicuous by its absence. (click on the picture to enlarge it for better viewing)

I have stood beside this picture and walked viewers through it, and answered questions, and have yet to have anyone comment on the liberties I have taken by straying so far away from green.And, in most cases, those who I have shown this work to, have been delightfully surprised when I pointed this out to them.

I use this example, as a follow up to previous blog postings on the theme of variance. Indeed, people crave novelty in art.

The late Richard Hayman (who I will provide a blog posting on in the future) stunned me as a beginning painter in his introductory art class when he said........"For God's sake, this is about art, not photography."The point being - its not only ok to stray from what people perceive to be normal. (eg. the appearance of green), but its expected.

I invite you now to look down at the late Jack Reid mountain scene which I posted below.

Take a look at how far he strayed from using paint box greens.

I think one of the reason people feel the urge to move away from green is because green is such a preponderance colour around us. When I am in the countyrside or the forest, its presence is overwhelming. If I try to reproduce it in a work - its presence becomes monotonous and tiring.

Straying away from greens, creates delightfully pleasing surprises for viewers of art.