Experiencing

Every time I experiment with something in art I find I learn. The project may be a dismal failure, but the process NEVER is. For this reason I enjoy challenging my students to tackle something alien to their styles. In the past few months I had them lay down an under-painting of colors the exact opposite on the color wheel of the intended color. The groans and protests were not hidden, but with much prodding they produced a simple tree and lawn scene that had a new depth that they had never tried. As they began to see the way the contrasting color bought a new life to this traditional design they got excited, and from this experiment, they gained knowledge.