THREE HATS, 2009, acrylic on panel, 30X30 -Mark Scantling
This one of paintings – you know, troublesome. It shouldn’t be hard. The subject and composition are simple – no problem there. It’s that “color thing”.
It’s that 7% thing.
In the U.S., 7% of males are color blind. I am one of those 7%. Yeah, that makes me a color blind artist. I don’t know the percentage of artists that are color blind, but I know of at least one other who is. He is also, by the way, a Pop artist working in a different medium.
At age 21 I was convinced that I could not be a painter. I put down my brushes, and picked up an assortment of cameras and black & white films for the next 25 years. At age 46 I was convinced I COULD be a painter – with limitations. Pop art allows me to use bold, bright colors – with only as much or little color mixing as I care to do. My wife, or CCO (Chief Color Officer) has always been nearby and willing to share her color sense – though I sometimes reserve the right to forgo her opinion and go with my own unique color sense. And as it turns out, people seem to like bold, bright colors, especially during rough economic times.
For this painting – “3 Hats”, I have stepped away from my silk screens, and have picked up a panel and I am painting at the easel. And this is where I begin wrestling with my “7% Problem”. Painting at the easel is very open to exploration – or “what ifs”. Get the painting going, then step back and look. Add this, subtract that, bake at 350 until done – allow to cool then serve. Being color blind, it, for me is the subtle colors that I never get to add to “the recipe”. But that is ok – because I AM painting.
For “3 Hats”, I took one of my cowboy hats, made a few quick sketches, found my composition with the rectangles – all SOP. Then – I had to paint. Now – each color has 6 to 10 layers of previous colors underneath. First, second, and third attempts at random color relationships, and I am only now getting to the point where I am satisfied with the color harmony (such that it is – or, isn’t). Tomorrow I will make one more change, tighten up the lines, redo my edges with black gesso, and sign it. It is time to be finished. I have new works to begin, and new opportunities to deal with my 7% problem.
-Mark
I like this painting just the way this is far better than a number of things I’ve seen at the Modern Art Museum… Please add me to your mailing list for upcoming art shows!
Love the Three Hats and I really appreciate your mention of being color blind. I don’t think I’ve really thought about color the way I have since having our shop. We custom color all of our buttercream frosting, and have brought on additional staff to frost with us. It was only after having a numerous sets of ‘eyes’ come into our kitchen that I began to wonder if we all see color differently. Way too hard to explain here, but let’s just say that when we mix colors for the frosting what seems a pastel (for example) to one set of eyes is not quite pastel to another.
What I’ve seen of your work (and colors) I think it all looks great and I wonder what it is that you actually see compared to what my eyes see. It’s all so fascinating! PS: love Mickie’s job title.
Mickie likes to quiz me when we look at paintings – trying to figure out what colors I see (or don’t).