"According to History"

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"The truth always survives the history of past failures." This piece was painted from a photo I took of a steeple on a church in North Carolina. The image inspired the quote and the truth is...that in spite of past failures...God loves you. He always has and He always will.

Of course, images like this are a bit difficult to execute with a palette knife in wet paint. It is charming, though, to have unexpected shapes and textures appear where you didn't expect them and not exactly like they were in the photo. And that is exactly the point. I have done images like this and painstakingly painted them with a brush, but there is something a bit "quirky" and very textural about painting this way. The unexpected shape or texture or part of the blue background getting mixed into the white paint helps to land everything on the spontaneous side of things rather than looking contrived.

But I believe it is all a matter of preference. I do have friends who work in ultra realism and even have some of those pieces in my collection. The joy of creating a lot of artwork is simply finding out what does it for you. 

And it is also interesting to note that many artists I have read about have eventually given up realism altogether and started working in total abstraction. So I am just letting you peek into the inner workings of me going through that journey and it's a journey every artist has to take by themselves. You will definitely know when you find the right medium, the right tool, and the techniques that help you to express what only you can express. This entire process is called "finding your artistic voice". And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

"Determination"

($40.00.....6" x 6".....Open Acrylics on a Gessobord)

"Determination hangs on to the bitter end." The comparisons that can be made between nature and life are stunning. This tree had only a few leaves left before being done for the winter. The remaining leaves reminded me of those persons who are determined to hang in there until the goal is reached.

By choosing a palette knife as a way of delivering the paint to the surface, many unexpected things will happen by virtue of the tool. There are some artists who do very realistic work with a palette knife, but I am not inclined to do so. The idea of capturing the essence of something and not trying to control every mark is exhilarating to me. The palette knife is the ultimate mark making tool.

I am in the process of creating some larger pieces on linen canvas so that I have cropping options and then choose the way I want to present the piece after the fact rather than before. One never knows how something will turn out, so it is quite nice to be able to mount a piece on a 1.50" depth clayboard and to even change the size. So I only share this with you in case you have not thought of these other options. If you begin with a predetermined size, you are absolutely locked into that space with no option but to start over if it doesn't turn out well.

Another thing I have been observing is the amount of visuals that come before our eyes on a daily basis. I have concluded that every artist needs to consider that fact and not create the predictable. That's why "deconstruction" and throwing very unexpected things into a piece is so mesmerizing. It simple creates more interest, and yet it still needs to be well designed. It's an interesting thing to observe and I would encourage deep thought on this issue. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Numerous and Colorful"

($125.00....6" x 6"...Oils on Gessobord....floated on a linen mat in a custom frame)

"Letters are as numerous and colorful as the leaves." The idea of making odd comparisons is one of the hallmarks of my quotes. This one is no different. And I think we can all agree that letters can form a lot of words that are indeed colorful.

The evolution of style in anyone's artwork is ongoing. It seemed quite natural to adhere text pages to my background, partially covered by gesso with some of the lettering peeking through the painting. In a recent posting, I talked about the idea of really thinking through the ideas and techniques that continue to appear in your own artwork. 

For me, there is a continual return to the gestural mark. I love the erratic quality of the line and the palette knife is simply one more tool that will yield a lot of spontaneous movement. That's why I decided not to make the dark background trees, but rather lay the paint down in the colors of those trees, but in a gestural way. The foreground trees, of course, do look like trees with an abstract quality. 

This way of laying down the paint helps integrate the collage elements and the quote scribbled into the foreground. There are many ways to lay down paint. You can use a brush, palette knife, brayer, mono print, etc. My thinking is to try them all and see what best fits your personal vision and style. If you desire to include lettering, it is best to keep the other elements of the piece somewhat abstract because letters are abstract. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Ebb and Flow"

($40.00....300lb HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"The ebb and flow of seasons is an ongoing benediction to God's creation." Even though I automatically gravitate to "Fall" as my favorite season, it would probably bore me if we had "Fall" all the time. It's the variety exhibited in the ebb and flow of the seasons that gives rhythm to our lives and an ongoing benediction to what God has created. Amen!

Even though design is a very important part of the art process, it can become very predictable and contrived. For this reason, and also because I'm getting older and can't seem to remember what I do from one day to the next, I would like to share what I have come to believe as a very important part of the art process.

It is incredibly easy to "crank" out artwork without stopping to analyze why and what we're doing or to come up with new thoughts. So to combat this problem for myself, I have begun to think with a clipboard in my hand so I can jot down the answers to the questions I am asking about my own process. 

For instance...one of my favorite questions..."is it convincing?" If there is anything that gives me pause, I really do need to think about what that might be.  Another favorite question..."are the elements of design all well integrated?" If I am truly honest, I will answer that question without glossing over the one thing that may be troubling me. And on it goes. 

The thing to remember is that we can all know what our next step is in our own process by analyzing why and what we're doing. Writing down every idea that comes to mind is a must. I can guarantee you will not remember what you were thinking six months from now or maybe even one day from now. 

This makes a hugh difference in how we all work and will keep us out of that fatal "comfort zone" that keeps doing the same thing over and over again. And even when we find that one technique or one voice that we can call our own, we would be well advised to continue "kicking it up a notch." And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Blast From The Past"

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"A blast from the past is often a step into the future." This old hardware store is symbolic of things in the past that often prompt new thoughts and ideas for the future. Creativity and invention keep us moving forward.

This piece is a sketch created with a fine point pen of a very old hardware store in Boone, N.C. It is a historic landmark in the area with an old gas pump and screen doors that have withstood the test of time. 

Sketching is a simple impression of a scene or subject that gives the artist a more emotional "feel" of the subject. It does not have all of the shading and other characteristics of a full scale drawing, so I added text pages partially covered with gesso to enrich the surface in the background. 

There is a lot to be learned by sketching that will enhance the scope of work that any artist wishes to create. Sketching journals have been around for a long time, but I have personally found it very difficult to carve out time just for sketching. It may just be that it needs to be viewed as a foundational part of the art process. So my encouragement is to have you join me in a commitment to pick up pen or pencil everyday and sketch at least one thing. It may even become addictive and spawn a whole new direction to your artwork. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Harmony"

($40.00....6" x 6"....300lb. HP....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Harmony is good in music, art, and life." Harmony is achieved when things work together. Apart from having personal preferences, there are ways of creating and doing things that create harmony. Wisdom is learning what those things are.

There is extreme harmony in this piece by using values that are in the same neutral range with no strong color. The contrast appears in the gestural mark making of the mono printed rice papers. All other prominent lines are very straight. 

Contrast of size is also apparent in the weight of the text in the background compared to the weight of the hand written quote and the gestural marks. The other obvious contrast is the contrast of values which of necessity has to be present in all artwork to even have a presence at all. It would have been a real "snoozer" if these contrasts had not been present. 

Harmony was further achieved by repeating design elements such as the background text, the red edge of the text pages and the gestural marks. So the focus being on harmony and contrast is a very simple way to ease into design without feeling overwhelmed. All artwork needs both. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"The Pine Cone"

($60.00......6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Form, texture, and memories reside in the pine cone." I've always had a fascination for pine cones. They have a compelling form and texture and they bring back memories of pine trees, camp, Christmas, fall, etc. They're wonderful!

This entire piece is about texture. The drawing of the pine cone was done with a pointed pen with a simple line drawing interpretation. My desire was to have a lot of rich brown color and a lot of texture. I naturally turned to walnut ink for the brown which you can see in the stained rice papers from top to bottom.

The text fragments are a few more selections from a very old copy of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's book of poetry. Many of the odd textural shapes were created by deconstruction...adhering the paper and then pulling it off. Even in the lettering, my desire was to have a very textural feel that integrated with the background texture. 

The placement of the pine cone at the bottom edge of a shape created by revealing the black gesso in the background was a natural way of creating an edge to edge shape. A few more darks in and around the pine cone completed that edge to edge look. 

Also notice how the text fragments create recurring shapes throughout. Texture is compelling, adds richness to a piece, and is worth exploring. Layering, staining, deconstructing, and drawing are all ways to add texture. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Scale of Success"

($40.00......6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Doing tips the scale of success." Most things require experience in order to see achievement. It sounds easy, but it never is. Experience requires doing something.

Layering affords the artist an opportunity to choose what to reveal and what to conceal. The size of a design element also comes into play. That's why I've become so fascinated with laying down old text pages. The letters are small in size, but also give the viewer extra little things to view as they get closer to the piece. And then the artist can choose to include an entire segment of the text or hide most of it with overlays of rice paper. 

The three things that do stand out by their strong value and larger size become the central focus. Also, placing a design element over white or a tinted area also affect its prominence in the piece. In this piece there are various sizes of text placed on a black background with the quote occupying the largest shape and the flourish and capital "D" overlaying text and tinted papers on smaller shapes. 

This hierarchy of placement within the context of size is an important one. Including a flourish and expressive lettering also helps to provide contrast with the edges in the piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Reading"

($40.00....6" x 6".....300 lb HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"The person who reads has no limits." Most information can be found in books or on the internet. All that's required is the ability to read and comprehend.

Keeping collage elements contained to one particular category (or two) creates a wonderful rhythm in a piece. By laying down text pages in a different direction and using text from more than one source, the repeated lines can offer repetition with variety.

Another type of variety that seems to go along with text pages is the gestural or expressive lettering over the text. There are also some deconstructed pieces in three of the corners that add that "aged" texture that is so compelling.

If you've never tried deconstruction, you might want to experiment with a very small piece like a 5" x 5". I personally think it works best with gel matte medium applied to the collage piece chosen for this technique. Place the medium on the side of the collage that you would like to transfer. Adhere it to your support and press over it with your fingers. Leave it alone for just a few minutes and then take a palette knife and slip it under the collage and slowly remove it. It often leaves traces of what was on the collage piece and may also remove part of the piece on the support. By moving back and forth between construction and deconstruction, you can create a highly textured surface. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Life Story"

($40.00....6" x 6".....300 lb HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Our life story is written by our habits." What we do in a day writes one page in the story of our life. And it takes many days to write the book. We each have the power to write our own story by the habits we form.

Process is always a fascination to all artists and even to those who wonder how art is created. The one thing I have learned is that it is best learned by doing... and doing a lot of it on a continual basis. It is the doing of a lot of art that helps the artist see their habitual marks, textures, design tendencies, etc. For instance, I am very much interested in the gestural mark, spontaneous techniques, texture, edges, unusual divisions of space, etc. This is also by (582) posting so I have a lot of pieces to study to determine what I habitually do. 

Your own artwork will tell you what direction you might want to go. My encouragement is to write down the particular things that keep reoccurring in your work and really think about where you want to go. The evolution of your own work is controlled by these kinds of choices. In this piece I have included a print of one of my pen and ink interpretative drawings of a pine cone. So I can clearly see that sketching and drawing will begin to enter the mix of my process.

I have also discovered that pushing one particular technique or way of working to its limit will give you a new direction. And it will actually happen quite automatically if you just continue to follow your passion...that one thing that is holding your interest right now.

My trend right now is to go back and forth between a grid format and covering most of the supporting surface with subtle overlays and varying textures and values. Your own work will be the most important "feedback" for your ongoing direction. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Sacraments"

($125.00.......6" x 6" ....300 lb HP floated on a linen mat in a custom frame)

"Our lives are sacraments to the grace of God." And really...nothing more needs to be said.

Moving away from a grid format, this piece has overall texture with two horizontal bands. The bottom shape is comprised of several overlapping segments of mono printed rice paper with the reverse side of the mono print showing and several pieces of deconstruction where the papers were adhered to the support and then removed before completely drying.

Even when using a montage of collage elements, the harmony in the piece is achieved by having strong value arrangements, keeping the main thing the main thing, and keeping the color palette simple. This piece is basically a black, white, and gold orange metallic color scheme. The inclusion of walnut ink to some of the papers also adds a bit of warmth and a textural contrast to the black and white.

Design does not need to be complicated, but the technique of layering is what makes it interesting and also a bit "edgy". This will not appeal to everyone, but it sets the stage perfectly for the expressive writing which forms another horizontal band. Try laying down some papers on a black support and see what happens. The black will allow your edges to show up and lend an ethereal look to the piece. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Reality"

($40.00.....6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Reality is a non negotiable." We live in a world where many would like to rewrite reality. It cannot be rewritten because it is real and therefore a non negotiable.

Collage pieces are so much more effective if previous layers are "veiled". It creates depth, mystery, and a highly enriched surface. If you only lay down one layer of anything, many of these qualities are lost. Laying a collage element down and then overlapping it with an image that is translucent or transparent is the most effective way. It can be accomplished with printed images on silk tissue paper, overlays of rice paper, or glazes of lightly tinted washes, diluted gesso, etc.

In this piece, you are looking at a grid format with some of the black gesso of the support left untouched. And there are several transparent and translucent sections that add a rich patina...especially in the center of focus where the quote has been written. This piece also has the additional movement that appears in all of the purple segments. Gestural writing written into the block printing ink before the mono print was done has created this movement. It is important to include some type of movement in these mono printed areas since the obvious and mostly straight lines of this format can become static.

Also, by tearing out a corner of the center piece, I've created a contrasting edge, line, and shape. Again, the center of focus is framed out by the placement of the purple mono printed segments on all four sides, but in varying sizes. Some of these decisions are made intuitively, but it also helps by reiterating the decisions in this commentary. Hopefully, it helps you to understand my process and know what to look for in other works by different artists. The best way to learn design is by experimenting, reading, and analyzing over and over again. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Fragments"

($60.00.....6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Fragments leave traces of the whole." Any quality or characteristic of a thing reveals the source of its origin. In art, collage is an example of this. In life, what we allow to influence our thoughts determines the source.

In this piece, there are definitely many parts of something else. I chose to use the back side of some pieces of mono printed rice papers because of the interesting texture. There is also some deconstructed pieces where the texture was created by adhering a piece to the support and then pulling it up before it dried completely. This leaves a segment of the adhered piece without having the whole piece. It's an exciting way to create spontaneous texture. 

There is also a piece or two colored with walnut ink which gives the deep rich brown colorations. So the combination of adhering papers in the traditional manner and including deconstructed pieces gives a rich "aged" and textural surface that cannot be created any other way.

Another inclusion is the white fluid acrylic drips which were poured onto rice paper and left on wax paper to dry. I then cut around these "drips" before adhering them to create a contrast of texture to what was already there. Texture is a compelling design element so learning techniques that increase the contrast between different types of texture will give you a compelling surface. 

Arranging the textures to form interesting "value shapes" is the other important consideration. Having shapes overlap and go from edge to edge to form a larger block is a good decision to make. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Dreams"

($40.00......6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Dreams are harvested in a field of prayer." It can take time for many of our dreams to materialize. Waiting on God in prayer gives power to the wait and insight for the process.

Intense color can act as an informal frame around a piece. This grid format was topped off with a red tint around the edges in varying percentages. So just one intense color plus black and white will give a "punch" without overpowering the piece if the percentages of that one color are kept low.

Bringing black into the text blocks also creates a different dynamic. The torn edges are the dominant edge and provide interest to the shapes. The grid format holds out the opportunity for endless variations, but only if the shapes, sizes, and the way the grid is formed has variation. So when introducing any element of design, the repetition of that element works much better if there is variation. 

And one of the effective ways of bringing in variation is to use the same element in a different size. It is then possible to go a step further and alter the texture with mark making, technique in application of the color, or adding something of another element that is present in the piece.

So the tension between harmony and contrast really does boil down to repetition with variation. Look at these kind of things in other artwork. Being specific about what you look for in a piece is one way to learn about design. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Folding and Unfolding"

($40.00.....6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Everyday life is like the folding and unfolding of a flower." We have a hibiscus next to our front door. This quote was inspired by watching this flower unfold in the morning and then close again at night. Isn't that the way our lives play out?

If you are like me and tend to be methodical in your approach, it will be to your advantage to choose how to divide your space based on a technique that allows for the most choices. Cropping still remains a powerful choice since the tendency will be to line things up in a contrived fashion. The division of space in this piece is interesting because each block is a different size with interesting edges.

Originally, I worked on a half sheet of 300 lb HP. I consciously staggered the text pages and even laid some of them down at a slant to offset the straight horizontal and vertical look. The thing to remember is to have just a few pieces adhered at a slant. Otherwise, it can end up looking contrived. Other shapes can be altered by adding more text and image as the last layer. This step absolutely insures better integration and harmony. The color contrast in this piece is a more subtle split complementary contrast by "graying down" the yellow with a bit of purple. This allows the blue to take the leading role. 

There are many ways to handle collage. One of the best ways to experiment is to create your artwork like you normally would and then cut up those pieces into interesting fragments that can be put back together again. By doing this, you will have a brand new look with space divisions that look very spontaneous. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Process"

($60.00....6" x 6"....300 lb HP mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

"Process is all about time management." Time constraints require all of us to carefully consider time management. And just so you know, I still struggle with this myself. Just factor in that it will always take longer than you think to get anything done!

There are several more layers of papers in this piece than some of the previous ones posted. The many overlaps and the exposed edges create more depth and subtle value shifts. Notice that there is very little strong color except for the red in the area of the edge to edge shape going from top to bottom. 

And that bit of red was applied by brushing gel matte medium on the color side of the rice paper and then adhering to the support. Wait a few minutes and then carefully lift it off before it dries and the color transfers in a very erratic pattern. I also did the same thing with some of the text pages from an old book. This is commonly referred to as deconstruction.

Walnut ink created the "smudges" on and around the edges. And it is best to dilute it a bit and dab it on after the rice paper is adhered. Notice also the red line created by the edge of the text page. That is something to look for when buying old books for this type of layering. This surface creates the perfect light background for the inclusion of expressive lettering after it has been prepared for writing by brushing on a mixture of (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium. 

And believe it or not, the shapes are quite distinguishable from across the room. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Yes"

($40.00.....6" x 6"....300 lb. HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"Yes is the happiest word in the English language." Everyone likes to hear "yes" when trying to do anything. The word has even become an exclamation point verbally to anything that has had a successful conclusion. Yes!!!

Especially when working with a square format, it is very easy and pleasing to divide the space into four quadrants. Such is the case in today's piece. By making the four sections unequal and not having them line up evenly is what helps these four shapes speak loud and clear...even from across the room.

After laying down the orange, green, and "grayed down" yellow, it felt a bit static. When that happens, the problem can be resolved by bringing in some of the background into the color fields. It can be done by adhering fragments of the text pages onto the color which creates a conversation with the background. It becomes even more integrated by removing these fragments after they have been adhered, but not completely dried. (app. 2-3 min.) It also helps to overlay other elements over some of these fragments such as the ornate "Y" and the quote at the bottom.

It also adds energy to the piece to have contrast between the torn and straight edges and also to include exciting edges within the mono print as seen in the orange in the upper right quadrant. So it really is all about division of space, contrasting edges, conversations between design elements (which includes "echoes") and designed corners. The designed corners will happen automatically if the piece is divided into four different quadrants. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Angelica"

($40.00....6" x 6"....300 lb. HP mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)

"An angel is a body guard sent by God." Angelica is Spanish for angel so it became the perfect title. Angels have specific assignments and I like to think that one of them is my body guard. It's a very comforting thought!

My experimentation is continuing by deleting the strong color and going totally neutral. There are also many more layers of papers just to create a tonal and textural variation. There are several techniques that I am consciously doing to give better integration and a sense of depth. When I overly a paper that is already there, I try to cut it a bit smaller and reveal the edge of the previous layer. It creates a lot of interest with edges and a sense of mystery by allowing some text to show or other texture.

To enhance the "back and forth" conversation between text overlaid with rice paper and other areas that have no text,  adhered just a fragment of the text into the static area. It then becomes more integrated with the piece. And if you look closely just above the quote there is a faint image of angels. It was a line drawing that I had printed on silk tissue paper, but after it was adhered, it was too much. When it was removed, it left a faint image which turned out to be far more subtle.

For those of you who are enamored with walnut ink, there are several pieces of rice paper that were stamped and colored a bit with a dilute portion of the ink. And of course, the three main dark areas are mono printed with black printing ink, gold orange (acryl gouache) with gestural marks in the paint. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Settle In"

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"Fear flies away when thankfulness settles in." There is something about thankfulness that opens the door to many good things and gets rid of some bad things. The word "settle" is not a commonly used word, but it has a wonderful meaning. It means to become established in a place and thankfulness is a good place to get established.

This is the last in this particular color series. I began the week using blue/green and dark green plus white and black. Then there was the introduction of an orange complement followed by several other combinations. It is fun now to lay them all out and see how I feel about each one. Today's piece includes two sets of complements....orange and blue/green...red tint and dark green and yellow/green. I am still trying to discipline myself to identify colors by what is listed on the color wheel rather than using "trendy" names like magenta, chartreuse, hot pink, etc. My goal is to be intimately acquainted with the (12) colors on the color wheel in all of their intensities, shades, and tints.

Just to recap, my starting point in all of these collages has been black and white with the addition of color. From across the room, the division of space is strong and then there are many subtleties for close viewing. I have often read that judges of art shows look for strong division of space and good shapes which are quite identifiable from across the room. I am quite sure personal taste comes into play as well, but it is worth thinking about. Strong value contrast is essential for a piece to stand out from across the room, especially if it's a small piece. The challenge is to see if it can be done successfully.

The only danger I see in doing this type of collage work is entering into the world of visual overload. I've tried to overcome that by having many "echoes" in the piece. I will continue to play around with color percentages, but I will be interspersing some very neutral (like 80-90 per cent) in the next week or so. Doing small works is an excellent way to experiment with color, division of space, no detail or a lot of detail, etc. Give it try! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Poetry"

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"Poetry dresses thoughts with words of rich emotion." The reason poetry can reach the deeper levels of the soul is due to the poet's ability to bring the emotion of the thought by careful selection of the words. The background text pages from this week's postings have come from an antique book of Elizabeth Brownings's poetry.

In today's posting, I dropped down the percentage of space that the complementary colors of green, yellow/green, and a red/orange tint occupy. Each of the colors occupies approximately the same percentages with green being slightly dominant. There is also the contrast of the strong color areas to the light color shapes and the black. The light areas are the most dominant in the piece. 

Contrast of size and shape is also important. If everything is the same shape or just one shape, there will be too much harmony and the viewer will lose interest because nothing is standing out as being more important than something else. It is referred to as hierarchy in each of the elements of design. So one color, one line, one shape, one type of texture, one value, and one direction needs to dominate to create harmony. 

However, contrasts need to be present as well. That's why I included straight and ragged edges, very light and very dark areas (values will sneak up on you!), very intense and strong color contrasted with aged and old book pages, surface contrast between opacity, transparency, and translucency. Design is the visual vocabulary of art so it really is important to continue adding more knowledge in this area to your process. And that is precisely why I am experimenting with color percentages. Each small piece teaches me something else about design. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.