Back in the fall/winter of 2023, I found myself yearning to explore something new in my paintings. Enter the harmony series. These three paintings were done with palette knives and imagination. I found myself engaging with composition, color, and method differently than I had before, and these were the largest paintings I had created to date. Here's a little bit on each of these pieces.
'school of zebras'
acrylic on canvas, 24x36in, 2023
'School of Zebras' was the first of the paintings in the zebra harmony series and was created intuitively as I looked for continuity between animals and their movements. In this particular piece, I was inspired by the movements of starlings and schools of fish, where the gestalt of their movements were only possible by the cohesion of individual parts. I thought zebras would be an excellent fit to translate these movements based on their ability to blur together and move as one thanks to the repeating striped pattern, and abstracted them into almost fish-like forms. In this piece, I arranged the zebras composition using Pingala’s golden ratio spiral. Elements of harmony, such as light and shadow, warm and cool, are brought into the grasses, the colors of the zebras, and the color shift across the canvas. I decided to use a more impressionist approach in order to paint a poem that reflects a feeling of harmony and peace through cohesive action, rather than a realistic approach common in my other work. This piece was a turning point for my own artistic journey, as it created space for exploration and intuitive painting that I had not explored as deeply before.
'four in the brush'
acrylic on canvas, 24x36in, 2023
The predominant focus of this piece was harmony. I had been experimenting with limited color palettes and really being intentional on design choices. When I teach classes on color and creating a color palette, I give the analogy of a make-it-yourself fro-yo shop: when you go into these fro-yo shops, they have flavors like strawberry, bubblegum, and caramel, just to name a few, and the topping choices are endless. When we go in without a plan or a theme, we might leave with a bubblegum base topped with granola, fruit, sour gummy candy, and peanut butter sauce. Each of these toppings might be delicious on their own, but they don't work well together, and they certainly don't compliment the bubblegum base. But if we go in with more of a plan, perhaps a tropical fruit vibe, we can make decisions about our base and toppings that support this "thesis". Let's go with the pineapple yogurt and add coconut shreds, mango, granola, and dark chocolate chips. Now, of course, you can do whatever you want with your frozen yogurt and these rules are not steadfast (same with color). Make it and enjoy it however you would like. It does, however, often pay off to have a central theme or intention with how your colors will engage simultaneously with other colors and the viewer's perspective of the piece.
In this particular piece, I decided to go with a purple/gold theme which is complimentary on the optical color wheel (here's a cool video on that, and a rabbit hole to dive down if you feel so inclined). This palette could feel both like the warm saturated light of sunset and the cool deep shadows cast from the light, or could hint towards fire and destruction. How is heat perceived here? How do you perceive it? The postures of the zebras could be that of relaxation with one friend looking out for the others, or a posture of alertness that creates tension. In tarot, the number 'four' signifies rest, structure, and a sense of being held. In my mind, the four zebras, very much at rest, are taking turns in watching the group and holding space for the others to rest and graze peacefully.
This piece was also made intuitively and with very little planning, other than having an idea on the colors and feel I was going for. I painted this directly after "School of Zebras" and, after the action and dynamicness of the first piece, found myself yearning for stillness and rest.
'happy hour'
acrylic on canvas, 24x36in, 2023
This is the third (and currently final) addition to the harmony series. I again decided to work with a limited color palette and representational zebras rather than realistic. This piece was created with a palette knife and heavy body acrylic paint, with a bit of oil pastel for the stripes. The middle zebra divides the group between stillness and motion, where the zebras on the viewer's left assume the same still postures, and the zebras on the viewer's right have a bit more playfulness and curiosity of the water. In tarot, seven has a focus on reflection, assessment, investigation, and wisdom. The story of the zebras from left to right is one of "normalcy" for the first three zebras. Their reflections actively move closer to their bodies as we look from the first to third zebra until we reach the fourth, who seems to be engaging in a moment of assessment, perhaps both in its external surroundings and internal world. The next two zebras continue the story through investigation and playfulness of what is around them. The final zebra, while drinking similarly to the first two, has it's legs extended to the water, actively stepping in to and drinking from its wisdom. You may also just see this as seven zebras doing zebra activities, and that's cool, too.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read my words. Which one resonates most deeply with you?
Be well,
Carly
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