Adding Color

Work in Progress
8 x 10" oil on panel

5 x 5" oil on panel

I've had a big jump in the last couple of weeks in employing and even understanding color.  I have been reading and studying the work of some wonderful colorists. While I have always loved pure color, I have always wanted to add more color to my work.  

I show these two works as an example of my change in thinking (and I have a long way to go to be successful with using more color in my work.)

The first is a work in progress and I started off with some pretty intense color, you might even be able to see some of the bright blue still showing on the upper right corner which hasn't been finished yet. I've just been adding color adjusting temperatures and values.  Most of it is painted with a palette knife.

The bottom photo is a small abstracted landscape I did around the holidays.  I think I used four colors, blue, white, naples yellow and green.  I did sell it so I'm sure it was appealing to some, but I'm trying to stretch myself.  

Somewhere in between the two will be where I end up, I imagine.