THOSE STEPS WE TAKE

Harley Brown’s fascinating things no one else will tell you

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Important points for me in my development as an artist were that I fully absorbed the talents and knowledge of major artists. Most important is they were strong individuals with dynamic thoughts and approaches in art. I couldn’t get enough from these masters in my learning years. As I often say, I’m now my own mentor. At the same time, I will continue to thank those who took the time in generously passing their knowledge to so many of us.

For the Record

I’ve worked with pastel on Canson paper for over half a century and not for one moment have I felt enough is enough. Every one of the billions of pastel strokes has inspired me for more. Each time I’m at the easel, I’m excited as if I were about to take a new adventure into a fantasyland. Often, my eyes water knowing that yes, I’m living my dream. True as the sky is blue.

Impress Into the Mind

Get in front of your easel and mess around with colors. Play with red against blue-green, purple against yellow, blue against orange. Those are (Munsell) “complement” colors. See how your eyes react when working them abstract. These moments will stay in your mind and broaden your understanding with what colors can do. Incidentally, apply an old classic rule: use more of one color than the other...like more red than the blue-green; or more blue-green than red. Think of a French Impressionist artwork: a large cool landscape with small warm area like a barn. Do the “abstract” today just to get these colors into your inner mind. They’ll stay there waiting for the right time.

I have “abstract” shapes flow in and around my representational works.

It was a major time in my life when I discovered shapes and how they worked within art. Same for so many artists throughout history.