White

In the studio recently I was thinking about how I used to resist using a lot of white. I wanted the boldness of pure colors. White seemed so blah. I know many artists will find that a really odd approach, but I wanted the intensity.

Then, as I developed some new techniques, I started to reach for the white more and more often. I began to like how it set off some of the bright colors, and the soft tones when I used it for blending.

At first glance white may seem so “absent.” In reality, of course, white is a mix of all colors while black is the absence of any.

I’ve been thinking about that more and more – how things are often not what they seem at first glance. And how something that seems to be “nothing” can be a critical part of a process.

White brings all the colors to bear. It can provide a luminosity no other color can. It can make other colors blend in different ways, leaving their hues intact.

I’m guessing the lesson for me is to remember things are not always what they seem, and to be open to rethinking.

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