Creating with a Minimal Palette...

I don't do resolutions  but I do enjoy simplification as the New Year comes through. During the Christmas break I clean out my studio so that it is fresh and ready for new ideas. I started this year by working on some pieces using a minimal palette ~ Black, white, and 3 colors (Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Paynes Gray).

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Creating with a minimal palette frees up creative brain cells that sometimes get overwhelmed by color choice - leaving room for you to grow on composition, line, contrast to name a few. I was turned on to the idea after taking Laura Horn's #minimalmagic online class and it has been the gift that keeps on giving! You would think that putting restrictions on yourself would hamper creative juices, but for me it's had the opposite affect...

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I tend to overdo it when there are too many choices (you should see my plate at a buffet table!). So having just a few color options opens me up to really concentrate on the roots of what I love and what inspires my artwork ~ organic lines, botanical shapes, contrast of simple vs. busy, and beautiful soothing palettes.
There is definitely ART to decision making and working in this way helps me develop that muscle!

This doesn't mean I will never create with more complex palettes ~ I do love getting lost in a 'color puzzle' ~ but I see this as a place to return to and really build up my personal preferences, composition skills and aesthetics that can carry into bigger, more complex works.