Curious Yellow, Part II

"Phat Burrito"
9 x 12, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2015
(Available)

I have been outdoors painting on location a couple of times recently--whenever I could catch a spring day in between the winter ones! Curiously, I was drawn both times to things that were a very bright yellow. You may know that the color of an object, as perceived by the human eye, depends on the wavelengths of the light it reflects. When light hits an object, the object absorbs some of the rays, and reflects the others. Yellow things absorb less light, and reflect more light, than things of other colors. The fact that yellow objects reflect so much light explains why they are very bright. In painting terms,
yellow is at its purest and most intense at a very high value (i.e., at a very light, rather than dark, tone).

My first yellow challenge was the Phat Burrito building in Charlotte's SouthEnd (above). It would be an understatement to say that it is a very striking shade of yellow. One of the questions I ask myself when I start a painting is "What's the brightest bright?" No hesitation here! I loved the way the dark shadow side of the background buildings made the light colors of the building and the cherry tree pop out.

"Harbingers of Spring"
12 x 9, oil on linen
(c) Lesley Powell 2015
(Available)

My next yellow challenge was a huge forsythia shrub in full flower. An amazing burst of bright yellow flowers! Again, no question what was the brightest bright in this scene. I used the last of my old tube of cadmium yellow paint during these two sessions...here's the proof:

Stay tuned...I have a new tube of paint, and if I continue on this yellow streak I might even attempt some daffodils.