The Art of the Wedding Painting

It has been twenty years since I have had a dedicated space to create and paint.  I think of Mel Robbins and her advice that is much easier to go on a run in the morning if you lay your clothes out the night before. I think it is true for creating. Having a space easy to access and all set up breeds for easier creativity. I just moved into a new house and took over half of the garage.  My partner Kevin took over the other half with his cycling stuff, and our pug Whiskey sits on a sheepskin rug on the cement floor between us and watches us both.  As I was setting up my studio I thought of my current book I am writing, More Than Tulips, Van Gogh, Vermeer and Dutch Culture, where Van Gogh lived in a time where he could buy painting tubes. However, Vermeer, had to make his paint colors from scratch with pigment and linseed oil. When I went to the art store I was overwhelmed trying to remember my favorite hue’s. Was it the Cadmium Red Light or Medium, what about blue was it Ultramarine or Cobalt? I stood in the aisle at Michael’s googling the best full spectrum pallet acrylic colors to buy. One color I have never used but Google search results said is a good grounding color was Burnt Sienna. I love color and light so am drawn to purchasing bright colors. But went out on a limb and bought the Burnt Sienna.

Google was right. Burnt Sienna holds the vibrant colors together in a painting especially in landscapes. My daughter Greta just married Judah at Quail Ranch in Los Angeles on a beautiful sunny day. I wanted to paint them a nature moment from their wedding venue. This painting is a view looking up from the ceremony. The vibrant bougainvillea was everywhere, and I wanted to pick a view with its warm magenta color. The summer sky had high cloud movement and fun to work with the ultramarine blue, I decided to pick Ultramarine not Cobalt for my palette, and white to feel the high breezes above the ceremony. I know some people find comfort with paintings of their old houses or places they visited much like photos keep our minds fresh on a specific memory. I like that the challenge of the interpretation of a space or place has more freedom of expression in a painting.  Their wedding was an expression of love and my painting for them will be an expression of that love and time together celebrating on that happy summer day.