Reds, white and blues

"Attention-getter," 5 x 7 watercolor, 140 lb Canson cold press paper

Red.

The color with the longest wave length of light. The color that catches your attention before any other, whether a red car, a red flag, a red shirt, red lips. The color, the symbol,  of passion and patriotism, of romance and revolution, of love and lust.

It's not my favorite color, especially in painting...the blues are obvious. But, our gallery of 10 artists in Paseo Arts District, plans "Red" to be February's group show  theme.

One of the beauties of red is that it comes in so many different variations--opening up all kinds of possibilities, through mixing, especially in watercolor.

So I have to go to work. I have a list of subjects: Round barn, red chili ristras, red-headed cowgirl, caboose, apples, an earlier bloody impression of the U.S.S. Arizona, maybe one of the Alamo, perhaps a red sunset at sea, perhaps one of the Sangre de Cristo (blood of Christ) mountains in New Mexico.

Red barn,  ristra and cowgirl accomplished this week--earlier on the blog. And today's, red lips--mixing three distinct hues--Alizarine Crimson, Scarlet Lake, Pyrrole Red, and plus touches of blue peacock and in violet. So--reds, the white of the paper, blues.

Yes, it'll be framed and for sale in the gallery just in time for Valentine's Day, in February.