The “Languages” Of Art

“Our Hearts See Only Love”

Recently I have been working on several commission pieces. These art pieces were requested to be created in black and white by the buyers. I also have had a lot of commissions from my new Spirit Animal custom portrait series, which are created using charcoal with just a touch of acrylics for color, so they are also predominantly black and white. While diving into these pieces for several weeks, I put aside my usual brightly colored paintings. I have worked in black and white, particularly charcoal, for many years. But I have never gone for such a long stretch without having moments of work with color. The other day I began to get very restless and tired and I wasn’t sure why. I decided to begin the next painting in my Journey of the In-Between series, and as the color began unfolding onto the canvas I realized what had been happening.

When creating art, artists work with their own form of communication which is based on light and color. Color is portrayed through a spectrum of tone and shade, while monochrome (in this case, black and white) are principally based on shade alone. These are two different ways to “see”, and I tell all my art students, becoming an artist is really just learning how to see. And creating art is the language of seeing. When I create in black and white, I am focusing on light and shadow. I ask myself, how can I convey movement, depth, energy, and personality through shadows and light? It's the difference between seeing a face in candlelight compared to full sun. One reason I really enjoy charcoal is because of the depth of shade and light I can achieve with this medium. It can be quite dramatic and very beautiful.

When I create in color the conversation includes shadow and light, but now brings in tone. I adore bright colors. Color itself conveys emotion. This is why when you go into doctor’s offices and hospitals everything is a soft pastel color. The muted tones convey lightness, calmness and are soothing. Conversely, walking into a circus performance you see bold bright colors paired with opposites, splashed against backdrops of rainbows that jump out at you, keep you engaged, awake, and alert. So when I create with color, I think about the energy of the tones used. Do I put cool colors next to hot for stark contrast, or have a gradual ombre of change that smoothly leads the eye? I have to ask myself, which color will be seen first? Then second? Then third? What journey will the viewers take through the painting as they go?

So the other day when I was feeling tired, I recognized this was a similar feeling I have when I travel to Latin America and have to speak Spanish for an extended period of time. I’m using a very different part of my brain, which can be exhausting! It was then I recognized the difference of the languages between monochrome and color. When I switched back to painting in color there was a sense of relief in returning to my “native language”. I’m grateful I can be a “bilingual” artist and work in both monochrome and color. I invite you to reflect, when you are creating or even just viewing art, what “language” of art are you speaking in that moment?

If you are interested in a custom commissioned piece of art, contact me here! I would love to create your next favorite piece of art.