"Just A Number" ($40.00)

($40.00)

"Age is just a number but the higher ones are more difficult to negotiate." There are those of us, like me, who think they can still do what they always did. The day has come when "age" is part of daily consideration. What I know now is that some things can only be done in the morning, when I'm actually alert enough to put two thoughts together. However, it is also good to just look at age as a number and "go for broke"!

Crackle Paste (Golden) is a favorite medium that yields great results. In past pieces, I have randomly applied this medium to the paper before adding any color. However, more subtle results can be achieved by waiting until the last layer and noticing the area that becomes the center of interest. Most of the time, that place will be where there is the most detail, the most contrast with an interesting shape. That place became obvious in this piece, so I applied the paste with a very small palette knife allowing it to be a contrast within a larger shape. A bit of gray gouache was applied over the paste after it dried to highlight the "crackle" effect. I chose to use gouache because it is easier to manipulate the value of the color by adding water and blotting with a kleenex where it became too dark.

Blue and yellow are split complements and look very well together, but if you want the yellow to be very subtle, either "gray" it down with its complement or use Raw Sienna which is what you see here.  Just something to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.