Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Your Favorite Color Combos: Facebook Poll Results & Color’s Impact on Mood
“Pears XVIII” Original Oil on Panel 6”x8” by Dena Tollefson
“Daisy II” Original Oil on Panel 4”x6” by Dena Tollefson
by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/
So here are the results from my informal poll “Tell me your favorite color combos” from Facebook: Thanks to all of you who contacted me with your inputs.
Your favorite Color Combos Poll results
1. Blue and White
2. Green and Blue
3. Pink and Green
4. Blue and Gold (tie)
5. Green and Gold (tie)
Ever wonder why we react to certain colors? Why we pick certain colors?
My Approach
I try to keep a balance of colors – warm and cool, deep and light in each painting I do. I pick a dominant set of 2-3 colors at the start of the painting which determine the overall look- for example, in “Daisy II” shown above, I wanted to make a pink and green painting. I decided to use the 3 colors pink (white + alizarin crimson), green and white. This is the dominant palette. Now I added purple and yellow to balance out the warm of the green and the cool of the pink. Then I go back in and mix the dominant colors together to create a gray or “mud” color to use alone or mix into all the other colors in the painting so that only a few marks will have pure pigment from the paint tube and there will be color harmony.
In the painting “Pears XVIII” above, I wanted to do a painting with where the dominant colors are blue, green, and gold. So I added secondary colors of red and orange help balance the cool blue. I mixed the the colors in with each other to make the “mud” color which helps pull it all together.
Here is an excerpt from the article How Color Affects Mood, by Abby Hoicowitz, Annie McNerney, Lamour Hudson, and Rhett McCoy :
“The authors of Impact of Three Interior Color Schemes on Worker Mood and Performance Relative to Individual Environmental Sensitivity also say that color affects mood. They explain that red, blue, and green create the most obvious results. They say that white does not usually test well because it is a neutral and common color. They also said that red causes alertness and high excitement, while blue causes relaxation and low excitement. Finally, the authors also say that blue and green cause feelings of security and tenderness.Our group also found a lot of information from internet sources. For instance, Starr Walker says that "colors are neither good or bad but, they do influence the human psyche."
She goes on to say that this is because of the different vibration levels of colors. Red has a much higher vibration level than black, while clear bright colors are more positive and emit a higher vibration. Dark or muddy colors give off a lower vibration. Walker says that the colors that a person chooses to wear can affect their mental state. The following are her interpretations of colors:
White = purity and clarity;
Red = power and strength;
Pink = sensitivity and love;
Orange = stimulation;
Yellow/Gold = energy;
Green = harmony in mind, body, and soul;
Blue = healing and calmness;
Violet = spirituality;
Brown = earth like; and
Black = depression and seduction.”
click here to see their full article
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/nsfall99/labpacketArticles/Final1.HowColorAffectsMoo.html
http://www.denatollefson.com/
So here are the results from my informal poll “Tell me your favorite color combos” from Facebook: Thanks to all of you who contacted me with your inputs.
Your favorite Color Combos Poll results
1. Blue and White
2. Green and Blue
3. Pink and Green
4. Blue and Gold (tie)
5. Green and Gold (tie)
Ever wonder why we react to certain colors? Why we pick certain colors?
My Approach
I try to keep a balance of colors – warm and cool, deep and light in each painting I do. I pick a dominant set of 2-3 colors at the start of the painting which determine the overall look- for example, in “Daisy II” shown above, I wanted to make a pink and green painting. I decided to use the 3 colors pink (white + alizarin crimson), green and white. This is the dominant palette. Now I added purple and yellow to balance out the warm of the green and the cool of the pink. Then I go back in and mix the dominant colors together to create a gray or “mud” color to use alone or mix into all the other colors in the painting so that only a few marks will have pure pigment from the paint tube and there will be color harmony.
In the painting “Pears XVIII” above, I wanted to do a painting with where the dominant colors are blue, green, and gold. So I added secondary colors of red and orange help balance the cool blue. I mixed the the colors in with each other to make the “mud” color which helps pull it all together.
Here is an excerpt from the article How Color Affects Mood, by Abby Hoicowitz, Annie McNerney, Lamour Hudson, and Rhett McCoy :
“The authors of Impact of Three Interior Color Schemes on Worker Mood and Performance Relative to Individual Environmental Sensitivity also say that color affects mood. They explain that red, blue, and green create the most obvious results. They say that white does not usually test well because it is a neutral and common color. They also said that red causes alertness and high excitement, while blue causes relaxation and low excitement. Finally, the authors also say that blue and green cause feelings of security and tenderness.Our group also found a lot of information from internet sources. For instance, Starr Walker says that "colors are neither good or bad but, they do influence the human psyche."
She goes on to say that this is because of the different vibration levels of colors. Red has a much higher vibration level than black, while clear bright colors are more positive and emit a higher vibration. Dark or muddy colors give off a lower vibration. Walker says that the colors that a person chooses to wear can affect their mental state. The following are her interpretations of colors:
White = purity and clarity;
Red = power and strength;
Pink = sensitivity and love;
Orange = stimulation;
Yellow/Gold = energy;
Green = harmony in mind, body, and soul;
Blue = healing and calmness;
Violet = spirituality;
Brown = earth like; and
Black = depression and seduction.”
click here to see their full article
http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/nsfall99/labpacketArticles/Final1.HowColorAffectsMoo.html
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art’s Workshop Lecture “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget” Part II
by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com
Last time I wrote about a neat workshop/lecture I attended at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art entitled “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget”, focusing on the Vogel gift to the museum. (see last post).
http://www.crma.org/Exhibition/Detail/Current/Less-is-More-The-Vogel-Gift-of-Minimal-and-Conceptual-Art.aspx
Part II of this post discusses the second part of the lecture: ways everyone can collect art on a budget, ideas below presented by CRMA museum Director Terry Pitts and Curator Sean Ulmer:
Idea #1: Collect Locally
You don’t have to jet set or go to a large city to collect art. Go local and collect from artists in your area or region of the country. Saves big on transportation!
Idea #2 Go Online to Learn about Artists You are Interested in
You can learn about artists in your area by speaking with gallery owners and checking them out on the web. Google or Yahoo the name of an artist you are interested in and learn more about them- how they create, their history, where they are going artistically.
Idea #3: Go to Art Gallery “Gallery Walks”
Many art galleries hold open house “gallery walks”, or “self guided gallery tours” several times a year where the public is invited to come in for a gallery open house to meet the artists they represent and see their latest work. This is a way to enjoy food and beverages, meet the gallery artists, and see a variety of work in a wide range of price points.
Idea #4: See as Much Art as Possible
The more art you see, the more you will get a feel for what you like and what you don’t. This will help you hone your art eye and help you focus your collecting.
Idea #5: There is Art for Every Budget
You don’t have to be loaded to own art. You can start your collection at your local thrift shop! You never know what you may find. Start small, figure out what you like, and move forward from there. As you build your collection, you may cull your collection and eliminate certain pieces to keep the best or narrow your focus.
Idea #6: Even if You can’t Afford the Big Painting, You may be Able to Afford Something Else from That Same Artist
Terry Pitts and Sean Ulmer showed examples of artist’s ephemera . So if the big painting isn’t affordable, maybe a smaller piece, a signed book, a signed gallery catalog, an artist’s invitation, etc may fit the budget.
Idea #7 Check out Auction Houses and Art Fairs
You can find art at auction and in art fairs such as the Art Chicago http://www.artchicago.com/
Auction houses such as Jackson’s (Cedar Falls, Iowa) http://www.jacksonsauction.com/
Leslie Hindman (Downtown Chicago, Illinois) http://www.lesliehindman.com/
and
Sotheby’s http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/event/EventSearchResults.jsp?event_landing=true
Remember: You can collect art for investment, collect art for pure pleasure, collect art for obsession. The point is to collect art you like.
http://www.denatollefson.com
Last time I wrote about a neat workshop/lecture I attended at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art entitled “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget”, focusing on the Vogel gift to the museum. (see last post).
http://www.crma.org/Exhibition/Detail/Current/Less-is-More-The-Vogel-Gift-of-Minimal-and-Conceptual-Art.aspx
Part II of this post discusses the second part of the lecture: ways everyone can collect art on a budget, ideas below presented by CRMA museum Director Terry Pitts and Curator Sean Ulmer:
Idea #1: Collect Locally
You don’t have to jet set or go to a large city to collect art. Go local and collect from artists in your area or region of the country. Saves big on transportation!
Idea #2 Go Online to Learn about Artists You are Interested in
You can learn about artists in your area by speaking with gallery owners and checking them out on the web. Google or Yahoo the name of an artist you are interested in and learn more about them- how they create, their history, where they are going artistically.
Idea #3: Go to Art Gallery “Gallery Walks”
Many art galleries hold open house “gallery walks”, or “self guided gallery tours” several times a year where the public is invited to come in for a gallery open house to meet the artists they represent and see their latest work. This is a way to enjoy food and beverages, meet the gallery artists, and see a variety of work in a wide range of price points.
Idea #4: See as Much Art as Possible
The more art you see, the more you will get a feel for what you like and what you don’t. This will help you hone your art eye and help you focus your collecting.
Idea #5: There is Art for Every Budget
You don’t have to be loaded to own art. You can start your collection at your local thrift shop! You never know what you may find. Start small, figure out what you like, and move forward from there. As you build your collection, you may cull your collection and eliminate certain pieces to keep the best or narrow your focus.
Idea #6: Even if You can’t Afford the Big Painting, You may be Able to Afford Something Else from That Same Artist
Terry Pitts and Sean Ulmer showed examples of artist’s ephemera . So if the big painting isn’t affordable, maybe a smaller piece, a signed book, a signed gallery catalog, an artist’s invitation, etc may fit the budget.
Idea #7 Check out Auction Houses and Art Fairs
You can find art at auction and in art fairs such as the Art Chicago http://www.artchicago.com/
Auction houses such as Jackson’s (Cedar Falls, Iowa) http://www.jacksonsauction.com/
Leslie Hindman (Downtown Chicago, Illinois) http://www.lesliehindman.com/
and
Sotheby’s http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/event/EventSearchResults.jsp?event_landing=true
Remember: You can collect art for investment, collect art for pure pleasure, collect art for obsession. The point is to collect art you like.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art’s Workshop Lecture “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget”
by Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/
I attended a really neat lecture at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art on Thursday night entitled “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget”, presented by museum Director Terry Pitts and Curator Sean Ulmer. The workshop started with information about the Vogels- Dorothy and Herbert Vogel amassed over 4,000 works of art over their lifetime. Dorothy was a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, Herbert a mail sorter with the post office. They lived off her salary and spent his on art. That’s a lot of art!!
The Vogels donated 2,500 pieces of their collection by giving 50 pieces to one art museum in each of the 50 states. The CRMA is Iowa’s designated recipient of the Vogel gift.
Learn more about the Vogels: http://vogel5050.org/#about&page=1&image=0
Dorothy and Herbert collected from artists they knew and gradually got a reputation as art collectors- they had a knack for spotting new talent and established talent. For example, they bought a Picasso ceramic in the early 1960’s as a engagement gift for one another. According to the website, their collection is considered “one of the most remarkable collections of contemporary art in America”
I love the classic quote from their website, “According to Dorothy, “art is Herby’s only interest, except for animals.”
Learn more about the CRMA exhibition of the 50 pieces in Cedar Rapids: http://www.crma.org/Exhibition/Detail/Current/Less-is-More-The-Vogel-Gift-of-Minimal-and-Conceptual-Art.aspx
More about the CRMA collecting on a budget workshop on my next post...
http://www.denatollefson.com/
I attended a really neat lecture at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art on Thursday night entitled “10 Ways to Collect on a Budget”, presented by museum Director Terry Pitts and Curator Sean Ulmer. The workshop started with information about the Vogels- Dorothy and Herbert Vogel amassed over 4,000 works of art over their lifetime. Dorothy was a librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, Herbert a mail sorter with the post office. They lived off her salary and spent his on art. That’s a lot of art!!
The Vogels donated 2,500 pieces of their collection by giving 50 pieces to one art museum in each of the 50 states. The CRMA is Iowa’s designated recipient of the Vogel gift.
Learn more about the Vogels: http://vogel5050.org/#about&page=1&image=0
Dorothy and Herbert collected from artists they knew and gradually got a reputation as art collectors- they had a knack for spotting new talent and established talent. For example, they bought a Picasso ceramic in the early 1960’s as a engagement gift for one another. According to the website, their collection is considered “one of the most remarkable collections of contemporary art in America”
I love the classic quote from their website, “According to Dorothy, “art is Herby’s only interest, except for animals.”
Learn more about the CRMA exhibition of the 50 pieces in Cedar Rapids: http://www.crma.org/Exhibition/Detail/Current/Less-is-More-The-Vogel-Gift-of-Minimal-and-Conceptual-Art.aspx
More about the CRMA collecting on a budget workshop on my next post...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Caring for your new Painting – Or How to keep a painting around for 500 years (at least)!
By Dena Tollefson
http://www.denatollefson.com/
Congratulations! You have a new painting. Now – how do you care for it so future generations will enjoy it?
Here are some top Do’s and Don’ts for taking care of your painting. The good news is that paintings are very easy to care for- much easier than caring for a houseplant. All you need to provide is a good location and an occasional light and gentle dusting. That’s it!
Check out the article below from The National Gallery of Art in the UK. The conservators there cleaned the painting “Margaret, the Artist’s Wife” which was painted by Jan van Eyck in 1439. Someone kept good care of that painting for over 500 years!
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/the-restoration-of-margaret-the-artists-wife/the-cleaning-of-the-painting
Painting care DO’s
Do hang your painting in a room away from drafts and areas which experience other large temperature fluctuations.
Do use sturdy hardware to secure your painting to the wall to avoid having it fall off and hurt your pets, your children, your toes. (Painting which survives a fall to the floor may likely require professional restorative work)
Do hang painting in a dry environment, avoiding damp or very humid areas which can harbor mold growth.
Do clean your painting with a clean cotton cloth or feather duster reserved just for cleaning your painting. Avoid disturbing the surface of the painting. Be very gentle. Another option is to use canned air (similar to type used to clean computer keyboards) held at a distance of at least 12”to gently blow dust from painting. Avoid touching or rubbing the surface of the painting. Those that are fans of Antiques Roadshow know that experts advise to keep valuables in an untouched, original condition as much as possible. It is a mistake to overclean.
Here’s some advice from the experts at Antique’s Roadshow
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/search_results.html?q=cleaning+art
Painting care DON’Ts
Don’t hang your painting in direct sunlight as it can cause fading damage to fragile works such as watercolor paintings, drawings and other works on paper. Oil paintings can tolerate more light, but it is always best to keep all painting out of direct sunlight.
Don’t hang painting over a radiator or close to a fireplace opening, as the heat is hard on the painting.
Don’t try to fix a tear or hole in your painting. This is best left to a professional conservator.
Don’t use any liquids or cleaning product on your painting or frames. Never. Chemicals can interact with the painting and damage it. Cleaning product can migrate from frames over to the art.
So, that’s it! Hang your painting and enjoy.
Here are a few more sources to learn more:
http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto/articles/painting_e.asp
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/services/restorepainting.html
http://www.denatollefson.com/
Congratulations! You have a new painting. Now – how do you care for it so future generations will enjoy it?
Here are some top Do’s and Don’ts for taking care of your painting. The good news is that paintings are very easy to care for- much easier than caring for a houseplant. All you need to provide is a good location and an occasional light and gentle dusting. That’s it!
Check out the article below from The National Gallery of Art in the UK. The conservators there cleaned the painting “Margaret, the Artist’s Wife” which was painted by Jan van Eyck in 1439. Someone kept good care of that painting for over 500 years!
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/the-restoration-of-margaret-the-artists-wife/the-cleaning-of-the-painting
Painting care DO’s
Do hang your painting in a room away from drafts and areas which experience other large temperature fluctuations.
Do use sturdy hardware to secure your painting to the wall to avoid having it fall off and hurt your pets, your children, your toes. (Painting which survives a fall to the floor may likely require professional restorative work)
Do hang painting in a dry environment, avoiding damp or very humid areas which can harbor mold growth.
Do clean your painting with a clean cotton cloth or feather duster reserved just for cleaning your painting. Avoid disturbing the surface of the painting. Be very gentle. Another option is to use canned air (similar to type used to clean computer keyboards) held at a distance of at least 12”to gently blow dust from painting. Avoid touching or rubbing the surface of the painting. Those that are fans of Antiques Roadshow know that experts advise to keep valuables in an untouched, original condition as much as possible. It is a mistake to overclean.
Here’s some advice from the experts at Antique’s Roadshow
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/search_results.html?q=cleaning+art
Painting care DON’Ts
Don’t hang your painting in direct sunlight as it can cause fading damage to fragile works such as watercolor paintings, drawings and other works on paper. Oil paintings can tolerate more light, but it is always best to keep all painting out of direct sunlight.
Don’t hang painting over a radiator or close to a fireplace opening, as the heat is hard on the painting.
Don’t try to fix a tear or hole in your painting. This is best left to a professional conservator.
Don’t use any liquids or cleaning product on your painting or frames. Never. Chemicals can interact with the painting and damage it. Cleaning product can migrate from frames over to the art.
So, that’s it! Hang your painting and enjoy.
Here are a few more sources to learn more:
http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto/articles/painting_e.asp
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/services/restorepainting.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)