Indigo

This is what I have been working on this week.  This is where I left it Friday.

painting in progress, 72"x42"

I have been working in these blues and blue-grays for several months now.  I have been looking at lots of textiles, old and new and am so attracted to these blues.

antique Japanese boro cloth

antique Japanese shibori

The shades of indigo/cerulean/ultramarine/pthalo found in traditional Japanese textiles is a palette I could explore forever I think.

another Japanese boro cloth

Then there are the indigos that are so saturated they are almost black.

I have been casting about trying to find an alternative to the ornamental iron work forms I have been using in paintings.  I wanted a form whose signification was more open-ended.  The ornamental iron motifs have historical, cultural associations that are very specific.  I have wanted to find form that was more open-ended.