Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green!

by Barbara Lewis

Oh, yeah, is that right?  Who says?!  Well, some experts in the field of color ... that's who.  When I started my "formal" artistic life ... by that I mean "academic" artistic life ... I had never taken an art class.  In high school I took Spanish.  I always expressed myself through sewing ... which I started when I was 12.

In college I took  drawing and color theory.  I ended up taking painting, too.  The meditative qualities of those classes is what took hold and never let go.  Hours would go by that felt like minutes.  My mind slowed.  I had but to focus on angles and planes of color.  During that period I became acquainted with a book, "Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green."  It had just been published and was wonderful for explaining why when you mix a warm blue with a cool yellow, you won't get what you're expecting.  Colors have temperatures but can be neutral, too.  Most people wouldn't think of red as being neutral, but it can be.  We're raised to think neutrals are beige, navy, black and brown.

Painting still tugs at my heart ... and maybe one day I'll get back to it. But in the meantime, we have a new Call to Create.  Yes, another month has gone by!  Woohoo!  We are working our way toward Spring!  The color palette for February's Call to Create is based the cover of this wonderful book.

I mean, who wouldn't love this palette? Talk about an enamelist's dream? :-)  Remember, our mission at Love My Art Jewelry is to encourage jewelry designers to make handmade with handmade.  It's our connection with humanity ... you feel the energy of the creator ... knowing that this object once was in the hands of another who spent time dreaming of its details ... so that you can spend time dreaming of your details for your jewelry.  It's funny how that happens ... an idea starts and gets played out in another arena.

This month we have great prizes donated by Cindy Gimbrone and Yoli Miramontes, and an opportunity to advertise your website, blog, etsy shop ... whatever. You can read more about our challenges by going to the challenge page from the tabs above.

We pick a piece to profile every week and at the end of the month we select a winner.  The winner has their own page at our website and is acknowledged in the sidebar of our blog, as is the weekly artist.  The work should be recent ... in this century at least ... no, really, I mean within the past 6 months or so.  Have fun with this Call to Create.  I'm so attracted to this palette ... I hope you are too!