As I’m painting this piece, the shape characters are doing their upmost to make their usual rowdy appearance. But I say if they do appear, they MUST behave! ….Well, they did appear, and it seems as if there’s a new sheriff in town, they did behave! As a result, the more compelling use of yellow was allowed to quietly emerge into supreme importance. Painting this much yellow on yellow is technically challenging and time consuming – due to the notoriously inherent transparency of yellow pigments, but so worth it for the warm fuzzy feeling. This painting, ‘Unbridled Innocence’ intentionally lacks my usual high level of contrasting value and color for the sake of greater visual harmony. The lack of contrast points toward a softer feeling of freedom, total innocence, and an absence of foreboding. There is plenty of open space for the shape characters to play and explore safely.
This painting is based on a scrap of paper filled with random paint marks.
The mood of this painting is glorious, like waking up to an amazingly perfect sunny day with nothing to do but explore whatever drives your bliss. As I reflect on the painting, I’m sensing a deep connection to my childhood. It’s possible that my childhood self may be characterized in this painting by one or both of the shape characters in the lower right-hand corner.
