defined as a strong greenish blue that is greener and paler than cobalt blue and greener, lighter, and stronger than average cerulean blue or indigo carmine.
The last two years my favorite paintings have been a lovely blue green .. examples are Dream Tide and Mystic Dream. I was drawn to the color because I want the feeling of undersea, tropical, warm and healing. This color does it for me! Then while looking for the perdect title for my new series on wooden panels with "caverns" I scanned across grotto and found grotto blue. There is an official name for my color!! I set out to find my interpretation of this definition, and since I was doing a bunch of new paintings for the CAA Studio Tour, I had lots of new canvases and panels and motivation to paint and paint to my heart's content!!
I did and now there will be at least 7 for you to see and to even vote on which one you think is the best grotto blue of all! Look at my abstract gallery to get an idea, but really they need to be seen in person in the sunlight.
This new series will be ready for the CAA Studio Tour which opens on Friday May 10. My work will be at location 11 for 5 days...3 on Mother's Day weekend and 2 days the following weekend. I will be ther with my square ready and smiling!!
Amethystis one of the large ones that is ready!! It is on a wooden panel 32" by 12" by 3" deep with the corners rounded to look a bit more organic. John has built me two other panels along these lines for two more much liket his one....Pearl and Straw Quartz.
The smaller ones are 12" by 6" by 3" and are on wooden gessobord with geodes tucked in to create their grottoes. The finished one is Crystal Grotto Blue...purple and seagreen are in the works.
What makes this series different? The texture started with the gesso when I beat it up with tree branches..very interesting look...then the big holes cut and filed ino them with the flow actually flowing into the oyster shell grotto. They have underpainting under the gold..a few glitzy crystal beads and black mica on the flows and then.. a big honking crystal to cover most of the cavern...an amethyst on one big one and a huge straw quartz on the other. Chocolate pearls from one of my daugther's necklaces are on a smaller red and gold one.
I think they are amazingly weird!!! I love them and the idea!!
the set up at SeaGrass Gallery for the 2013 CAA Studio Tour. I was the first artist to bring in my work so I got to pick my spot. I am very pleased to be showing the brochure piece, Stargazer, at SeaGrass as it goes well with the others. Mustic Tide is there as well as Shallow Dancing and Bejeweled. This way if you just can't make it all the way to the north end you can see my work at the triangle...by the fire station and bus terminal.
Thank you Doris for putting this together!
Mother's Day on Camano....mark your calendars! I have lots of new work to show you.
Helen's Originals showcases abstract acrylic mixed media, printmaking with monotypes, dry point and gyotaku, figurative collage, and informative blog entries.
