Color Is A Feeling
Before I even put brush to canvas, I start with color.
Before I even put brush to canvas, I start with color.
Not in a planned or formulaic way—but as a way to listen. For me, color sets the tone for the entire piece. It shapes the feeling long before any form appears.
As a painter working in impressionist oil paintings, color is one of the most intuitive and emotional parts of my process. Sometimes it whispers, other times it insists. But it always speaks first.
Color Leads, Shape Follows
I don’t separate color from meaning. A deep, quiet green can feel grounding. A soft neutral can hold space. A single touch of warm tangerine can change the mood of an entire canvas.
“Color doesn’t describe for me—it directs. It decides the emotional weight of the piece.”
In pieces like “Harmony” or “Santa Barbara”, the palette shaped everything—guiding brushwork, scale, and even how much white space I left untouched.
Mixing as Meditation
One of my favorite parts of the process happens before the painting starts—mixing tones until they feel just right. It might take an hour to find the perfect dusty blue, or a gray that holds just enough lavender to feel like morning.
I think of mixing as a quiet meditation. Each hue holds a mood. Sometimes I need to pull back a color that’s too assertive. Other times I lean into contrast to add energy. In works like “Tidal Wave” or “Playful Spaces”, you’ll see how layering warm over cool creates movement without even defining a shape.
Color in Commissions
When I work with collectors on commissioned oil paintings, we often talk more about color than subject. Clients describe the feeling they want in their home—something grounding, joyful, restful, or luminous—and we start there.
Together, we might find a tone they already love in a room, a place, or even a memory. Then I build from that mood using layered oil paint, blending and adjusting as the piece unfolds.
Paintings Where Color Takes the Lead
- “It’s A Breeze” – Light, open color fields that move like coastal air
- “Sea Glass” – Cool tones that feel softened by water and time
- “Wide Awake” – Bright and clear, designed to energize without shouting
- “Calm” – A restrained palette built to restore and balance
Each piece begins with a palette that sets the emotional tone. Everything else—composition, gesture, motion—grows from that starting point.
Final Thought: Color Is a Conversation
Color isn't just visual—it’s emotional. It doesn’t need to be explained. It just needs to feel right. That’s what I listen for when I mix, when I paint, and when I know a piece is finished.
If a painting makes someone feel something—even if they can’t name it—that’s when I know the color is doing its work.
Explore More
If you’re drawn to color-first work, I invite you to explore my Color Blend Series or reach out about creating a custom painting for your space.
Why Original Art Creates a More Personal Home
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How to Choose the Right Size Painting for Your Space
When it comes to choosing a painting, we often focus on subject and color—but size plays a quiet, powerful role in how art lives in your space.
What It’s Like to Commission a Painting
When you commission a painting, you're inviting art into your life—not just your walls.
What Makes A Painting Finished?
Sometimes, I’m still adjusting a piece even after it’s framed and hanging in my studio. I’ll walk past it and think: that corner could be softer or that blue could be a little warmer. It’s not about indecision. It’s about relationship.
How I Paint Light
Light doesn’t sit still. It moves. It softens. It shifts a whole scene without changing the subject. That’s what draws me to it—and what makes painting it a challenge I never quite want to solve.
