Dancing Reds & Browns & Greens

Sometimes you get something in your head and you just have to work on it until whatever it is becomes satisfied. That's what's happening to me and cardinals. I have all of these ideas of incorporating these birds into paintings in combination with leaves or snow using different colors. I also was able to photograph cardinals when I was in Texas. Granted, my photos aren't great since the birds were wary and far away, but it was fun listening for them and watching them hop about in the trees and it's great to have more of my own references.

I had some small canvases and I thought a cardinal would fit very well on one. They like oak trees and the rounded shape of the oak leaves and the pointyness of the bill and crest make a contrast. I've been loosely experimenting with Munsell colors. On the Munsell wheel, the complement of red is blue green. If you do a red, yellow, and blue triad and adapt it to the Munsell wheel the triad becomes yellow, red violet, and blue green. I've been loosely experimenting with Munsell colors in my recent work. It puts the color off a step and  makes for some interesting combinations. I enjoyed adding peach as an accent color to this piece. I think it really picks up the browny tans and highlights the red.

"Dancing Reds & Browns & Greens" • Original acrylic on 3/4" wrap around canvas, painting continues on sides, ready to hang • 7" x 5"

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