Young Harpist

[Julie Deane]

Alex,

Just thought I'd add one more note about synesthesia (sorry - couldn't resist - it's a fascinating subject to me). Definitely hard-wired - MRI's have been done that bear out some evidence for this. For an interesting read on the subject, try The Man Who Tasted Shapes, by Richard E. Cytowic.

[Michele Rushworth]

And since Michele mentioned this - besides a pink dress, what would one use OH Brilliant Pink for? Sounds like one of those "scary colors" (think pthalo).

Brilliant pink is not really that useful as a color straight out of the tube but is very helpful in mixtures. I use it to cool down light areas, especially to prevent skintones from getting too orange. It's also handy in features that are normally warm but where you don't want them actually red, or orange.

I also use Pthalo green in the same way: not as a color straight out of the tube, but to cool down some darks. Pthalo isn't on my palette that often, though, because it has such pigment power that it gets into everything if you're not careful. Brilliant Pink isn't that powerful.

[Michele Rushworth]

Here's where I thought it might have been used on this painting, for example:

[Alexandra Tyng]

That makes total sense that synesthesia is inherited, though I would think every individual would have a slightly different version of it.

Aha! So that is the pink! I think I used W&N permanent rose, maybe mized with Gamblin perylene red, in those areas, and in the dress.The perm. rose is a bit bluer than the perylene red. Below you will see both of them pure and mixed with titanium white.

Left: perylene red
Right: perm. rose

[Terri Ficenec]

Gorgeous Alex!! Everything in this works so well together. The harp has such presence and she is just moving. Beautiful and inspiring!

Hmmmm. . . on the synesthesia thing -- my son describes smells in color. That one kind of threw me.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Terri, thank you--again! (The first thank you was for cheering me on during the WIP. )

So your son associates colors with smells. Is he talented in art, too? I would not be the least bit surprised to hear that he is.