Tag Archives: color palette

Softening the Layers: Letting an Abstract Painting Breathe

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  • This is where it started;
  • adding more, layers and design elements;
  • soft and dreamy

When I last shared this painting, it was beginning to take on a warm, colorful personality. I had started with pink and orange, letting the colors evolve and seeing where the painting wanted to go.

Well, it turns out it had a little more evolving to do.

As I spent more time looking at it, I realized I wasn’t completely happy with some of the bolder areas. They were competing for attention a little more than I wanted them to, and the overall feeling I was after was softer and more dreamy. So instead of adding more strong colors as I sometimes tend to do, I decided to add more layers of light.

Working over some of the stronger areas with softer shades helped quiet them down while still allowing the layers underneath to show through. I love how mixed media paintings can work this way. You don’t necessarily have to erase something you don’t love—you can transform it, soften it, or let it become just a small part of what comes next.

And I think that’s what this painting needed.

The pinks, peaches, oranges, and lavender are still there, along with the textures, marks, little clusters of dots, and touches of gold. But now they feel more integrated. The lighter layers create a hazier quality that is much closer to what I had imagined.

It’s still not finished, though. I’m getting closer, but there are a few areas I’m still looking at. Sometimes I know immediately when a painting is done, and other times it takes a little patience. I might make another change, or I might simply leave it on my easel for a while and see what I notice the next time I walk past it.

That’s one of my favorite parts of creating abstract art. The painting can change direction several times before it finally tells me, I’m done.

For now, I’m enjoying this softer, dreamier version. We’ll see where it takes me next.

Thank you so much for stopping by and following along with this painting’s journey. I hope you have a creative and wonderful day!

Share the Happy 💖

Seasonal Shifts: The Art of Changing Colors

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Abstract work in progress

Have you ever noticed that the colors you love seem to change throughout the year? I certainly have. As September approaches, I find myself getting excited about my favorite season—fall. I’ll be decorating for the season beginning September 1st, and while we don’t get the beautiful changing leaves here in South Florida, I enjoy creating my own version of autumn indoors. After months of hot, humid weather, those slightly cooler temperatures are something I look forward to, and I love bringing the feeling of fall into my home through decorations, artwork, and seasonal touches.

My relationship with color tends to follow the seasons, and it has been that way for as long as I can remember. In spring, I find myself gravitating toward pinks and greens—fresh, cheerful colors that seem to fit the feeling of new growth. Summer pulls me toward ocean blues and deep greens, which feels especially natural living in South Florida. When winter arrives, I tend to favor whites and cool blues, often adding pops of brighter colors that hint at what’s coming next. And then there’s fall, when my palette warms up with pinks, yellows, oranges, reds, and purples.

There’s something about those fall colors that always draws me in. I love the warmth and richness they bring, but I also enjoy the unexpected combinations that happen when I put colors together that I might not normally use at other times of the year. Pink alongside orange, yellow with purple, or red mixed with softer shades can create something completely different from my summer palette.

That seasonal shift is already making its way into my studio. The painting I’m currently working on is a good example. It began with pink and orange, and I’m really enjoying where those colors are taking me. There are layers of texture, handwritten words, subtle marks, and plenty of room for the painting to evolve. It isn’t finished yet—and honestly, I don’t know exactly where it will end up. That’s part of the fun of creating abstract art. Sometimes I start with a color combination I love and simply see where it takes me.

I think color has a wonderful way of connecting us to a particular time or place. A certain shade can remind us of summer vacations, spring flowers, a favorite sweater, or even a room in our childhood home. Sometimes we choose colors because of the memories they bring back, and other times we simply reach for a color because it feels right at that moment.

For me, the changing seasons seem to bring their own color story. I may not be surrounded by autumn leaves turning brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold, but I can still experience that change through the colors I bring into my home and onto my canvases. In a way, my artwork becomes another expression of the seasons—even when the landscape outside my window stays mostly green.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons I enjoy fall so much. It gives me an excuse to surround myself with a whole new palette of colors and let them influence what I create.

What about you? Do your favorite colors change with the seasons? Maybe you reach for soft pastels in spring, bright colors in summer, warm earth tones in fall, or cool shades in winter. I’d love to know if your color choices change throughout the year, too.

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending a little creative time with me. I hope you have a colorful and wonderful day!

Share the Happy 💖

trees and flowers on grass in park
majestic snow covered pine forest landscape
vibrant autumn forest pathway in bright colors
beach waves crashing on sand under the blue sky

Exploring Abstract Techniques in Art

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While I’m busy making little tweaks and fine-tuning my new Etsy Photography Shop, I’ve also been happily experimenting in the studio and diving into abstract work. Lately, it’s all about trying new techniques, playing with different supplies, and seeing what happens when I push myself outside my usual comfort zone.

These pieces were created on 140 lb handmade watercolor paper—and I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite. There are areas where the paint just refuses to soak in, no matter how much I layer it on. The paper also has a yellow-green tinge, which works beautifully with some color palettes… and not so much with others. Part of the process, right?

That said, I am absolutely loving this color palette. It has a cool, calming vibe that really speaks to me. In the first image, though, I wasn’t thrilled with how the paintings were coming together. I tried adding a touch of shimmering metallic paint to see if that would elevate them—but they still didn’t quite win me over.

The second image features more organic shapes, and this is where things started to click. I love the way the shapes seem to glow, and that soft energy makes the piece feel really fun and alive to me.

By the time I reached the last image, I pretty much threw everything in my creative arsenal at it—short of the kitchen sink 😉 That one I truly love, especially the way the gold paint catches the light and adds that extra glow.

Art is always an experiment, and not every piece needs to be a favorite to teach you something new—and that’s part of what keeps it exciting.

I also want to send warm wishes to everyone affected by Winter Storm Fern. I hope you’re staying safe, warm, and well.

Thanks so much for being here and sharing this creative journey with me. Have a wonderful day!

Share the Happy❤️