Monday, February 5, 2007

Joan Cole's love of color is apparent in her paintings.

Cold, bright February days such as this remind me of my childhood. As a young girl, I loved experimenting with color. I'd scavenge empty containers from my mom's jar drawer, fill them with water, line up the jars on the piano bench, and drop in bits of colored construction paper. The dyes I coaxed from the paper transfused the water with magical hues. I spent hours mixing these tinctures in more empty containers--a little of this, a tad more of that. Finally, standing on a kitchen chair at the white porcelain sink, I'd watch my potions blend into a river of brown, heading for the drain. Whenever I paint, whether in oils or in watercolors, I become that child again, playing with color.

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