Now and then (OK, almost never), I decide to attempt something rigid and formal. These new pieces started out that way. The idea was to do something sort of monochromatic. I had all this tame-coloured Japanese paper I just bought cheap. What would happen if I worked exclusively in these muted off-whites, buffs and beiges, with maybe some pure white thrown in? I chose some pine boards to work on. Maybe I would let some of that warm, natural wood colour into the mix, add just a bit of that warmth.
Probably that was my undoing.
Along with all these dull shades in my paper collection, I had some much livelier colours — electric blues, kiss-me reds, tangerine, handlebar-tassle pink. My magic pen that writes in real gold leaf was calling to me. Well, one thing led to another.
“Hi, my name is Sunny, and I am a colour addict.”
“Hi, Sunny!”
It didn’t help that outside my window, the weather was warming. Spring was bringing colour coming back into the world. A very pregnant looking robin was under my patio table. A tulip was emerging. I went for a walk and saw the first crocus. A butterfly bobbed past the window. Resistance was, as the they say, futile.
I call these pieces Sweethearts, because they reminded me of the candy called Sweetarts.
As for all the dull-coloured paper, I gave it to my man, Cloudy. Maybe he will write on some of it with his fountain pen, if he can bring himself to use such fine paper. With really fancy paper, his hording tendencies kick in. He’s kind of squirrel-like when it comes to paper. Poor Cloudy.