Venture from the safety of the canopy

Next time you’re out in the woods, look at the color on the top side of a green leaf in the direct sun. It is opaque, leaning neutral, matte toward dusty. Then look at the underside of the leaf with the top side still in direct sun. The color is basically the same hue, but intense, highly saturated. Only the most green rays of green light are getting through the filter of the leaf’s substance without being absorbed or bounced back.

Then look at a low branch where you can see both the tops and the bottoms of the leaves, especially if there is a light breeze. You’ll see ripples in the waves of color saturation that are in sync with the susurration of the air’s passing. Once you see how the topsides and bottomsides have distinct color profiles, watch how they intermingle and the canopies glitter like gems.

The same principle applies all over the place. Look at the color of your hand. Then put a powerful flashlight behind it and you'll see a highly saturated red orange glow slipping around and between your knucklebones. Close your eyes in a dark room, and, keeping them closed, flip the light on. You’ll be struck by the pronounced color shift.

Color that bounces is abundant and prosaic. Color that penetrates some translucence becomes more intense and rarified as an inverse correlate to how much light gets through. Once you start noticing this, your experience of the world is enriched. What we are able to see is changed by what we know.

48”x36”
acrylic on canvas
available
send inquiries to russ@russbaileystudio.com