Is the Sky Purple?
We all know that the sky is blue.Or is it?I thought about this and the relativity of color endlessly while painting.
Morning Shed with Prickly Pear6×8″Oil on Linen Panel©Kelly MedfordThe sky seems blue, but to tell the truth, while painting this I used much more red and yellow than blue in this painted sky.In Italy, especially in Rome, often times there will be the darkest purple sky I have ever seen. I almost feel shy and in disbelief to really paint it that purple. But hey, we’re painters so we make it work!Since I added so much red to my sky, I balanced out the other colors by adding red to them too. I put more red in the tree and even the green grass, yes green, has lots of red in it.These magical color combinations are what get me excited about painting. The combinations are endless and something that painters must experiment with constantly. We have to change how we mix up colors, especially since every painting is a unique world.While you’re out today, take a minute and look up at the sky.What color is it?Is it just some blue with white added or can you spy some other colors in there too?If you were to paint it, what colors would you mix to paint the sky today?You can see or purchase today’s painting here on the websiteSee all other paintings from the 120 Day Project hereThank you for your interest in my work!Take a plein air painting workshop in ItalyClick here to see all the upcoming dates