Red Chair, or Black?

[Garth Herrick]

Dear Heidi, Allan, Terri, Alex, and Sharon,

I certainly value all your input and insights. Thank you.

Heidi: The Chief Judge actually called me to suggest the possibility of a blue chair (which they have as well). He said he was told he looks good with blue. I don't doubt this is true, so that is why I have considered a blue toned wall.

Allan and Terri: I agree with you in principal about weaving in ochre and sienna transitions or undertones in company with the blueish lavenders. I just haven't figured out how to do this effectvely in Photoshop. This is much easier (to me) to find a solution in paint, itself. I think most of these types of chromatic decisions naturally work themselves out during the intensivity of the painting process.

Alex phoned me today (thanks Alex!); and one suggestion she had was to make the background still lighter than in these examples. I will consider that.

Sharon: You know, we must be thinking on the same wave length at the same time, because just before you posted, I was thinking I really, really like that original unalterated red wall version. It is (naturally) the most cohesive of the schemes. I feel each red (the flag, the wall, and the chair) are really distinctly different kinds of reds in reality and I should be able to keep these distinctions apparent on the canvas. This reminds me of the time I viewed Disney's The Little Mermaid in the theater some fifteen years back. I was totally awed by how fifty or more distinctly different reds could be employed simultaneously in a symphonic animation to such a great effect. I am not sure these various different reds translated well into the video and dvd releases, but the original film stock was truly stunning!

Garth