Today, I am painting the landscape in the lower section of the painting, which is a mixture of Yellow Ochre and French Ultramarine Blue. The primary colors for this painting are: Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Ochre, and French Ultramarine Blue; these are the three primary colors on the color wheel. Two of the primary colors can be mixed together to make a secondary. For example, the mixture of French Ultramarine Blue with Yellow Ochre will make the secondary color of green. The darker green color is used for the shadows and shape of the trees in the landscape. An interesting fact about Yellow Ochre is that it is one of the oldest pigments, originally coming from iron oxides. The two chemical compounds in iron oxides are iron and oxygen. One of the best known iron oxides is rust. The pigments from iron oxides are "earthy" tones ranging from red, orange, yellow, brown, and black.
My inspiration for this painting comes partially from Shelby Avenue. If I step out of my front door and walk east, I go deeper in into the East Nashville neighborhoods and I eventually come to the wonderful Shelby Park. Walking due west along Shelby, I will eventually reach the Korean Veterans Bridge that appears to leap over the Cumberland River. Below the bridge is another wonderful park with hearty pines and a pedestrian walk way. The bridge leads to downtown Nashville with its music venues, restaurants, and bars. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 virus and stay at home precautions, it is difficult to experience these urban spaces. Painting allows me to be constructive and offers me a distraction from the outside world during uncertain times. For me, the bridge is a pictorial symbol of hope that it is possible to travel to a better place.