Into the rabbit hole!

"Into the rabbit hole: Fletcher 1"  by Hilary J. England,
Oil on canvas panel 12" x 16", 2012

It's been beastly hot.  I manage to get some work done in the early a.m., and sometimes, a night or two in, but my studio gets to the point of near suffocation by midday, even with the air conditioning chugging along on turbo, so it is just impossible.  I hate the summer, literally.  I hate stifling heat, I hate bugs, I hate humidity, and I hate having to stay in air conditioning, since it dries out my sinuses and drives up the electric bill into the stratosphere.  So, there is my rant for the day.  I would rather be in the most frigid cold than in blasted heat. I don't know how my ancestors lived in the tropics!   I guess that's one of the perks of believing in God, the hope of escaping eternal heat! LOL.  No offense out there to the thin-skinned.

I have been working quietly inside, actually getting a lot of studying done.  I started working on an exploration of Fletcher's Colour control theories, and it is extremely fascinating (thank you Myron, once again, you brilliant man!).  I am just intoxicated with this theory, and the simplicity, yet complexity of it.  I started doing some very controlled abstract color studies recommended to get a "feel" for this system, and I am just loving it.  Above is the first one. It's part of a study series called "Into the rabbit hole" and this is "Fletcher 1."  I like the idea of vertigo, and going through layers to get to a strange place!  The color scheme is entirely based on Fletcher's theory of split complimentaries, value, temperature, hue and intensity, and it was a very interesting and absorbing study.

So, aside from simmering indoors, I also plan on making another few trips down to the Philly Museum of Modern Art to the Rodin installation, just to stay cool and draw from his sculptures...a rather relaxing way to pass these hot days.  I started a new abstract color study, hopefully it will be done in the next day or so, I have to wait for the oil layers to dry thoroughly between each application, so the colors stay vibrant and unmuddy.

That's all--stay cool my friends.