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Elizabeth Greene's avatar

Wow! Thanks for the deep dive. In my mid-70’s, I’ve had a convoluted relationship with art making—metal, clay, architecture, sculpture, textiles. I’ve avoided painting for reasons connected to childhood Crayola experiences. However, I just completed a Color Theory class with Lena Wolff. What a cathartic revelation. I’m going to experiment with the six colors in your palette. (That blue…really?!). The alchemy is thrilling. Carry on with your good work, fellow traveler.

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Jonathan Byrd's avatar

I’m excited for your journey! French ultramarine leans just a little purple, so the only thing that’s hard to make is really good blue greens. Geneva also makes a phthalo blue which is more of a pure blue and lends itself to making turquoise and cyans. That said, I have tried other brands of oil paint and they’re fine, but there is an inherent glow and harmony to the Geneva palette that is beautiful right away without any fussing. I leave my “mistakes” more.

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Tim Timberlake's avatar

Jonathan...you continue to inspire with the depth of your curious and adventurous spirit. Knowing how this remarkable painting came to be is completely fascinating. Thanks for taking us along on your meandering journey...

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Jonathan Byrd's avatar

Thank you Tim.

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Mary Bycroft's avatar

Thank you for sharing your process with this amazing painting. You must be a reborn renaissance artist. She is awesome!

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Jonathan Byrd's avatar

Thank you Mary!

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SidewaysRain's avatar

Love this. Thanks for sharing your process: I can feel on a visceral level the ADHD rabbit hole you've gone down learning to paint, and the joy and the flow of it, and I can live that rabbit hole vicariously through you without, now, having to dive down it myself. Probably. <3

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Jonathan Byrd's avatar

Oh yeah. It was a great distraction from Physics and differential equations, which is its own rabbit hole.

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