My newest Palette Inspiration! Masterpiece's Series - Downton Abbey
My husband and I are hooked on this new-to-us series on PBS. We feverishly watched season one on Netflix to prepare for Season Two to start three weeks ago. I am surprised that David is just as hooked as I am as we never agree to the movies we want to see together. I have to watch the episodes twice because the first time I am so absorbed in the amazingly gorgeous colors in every scene that I don't pick up on everything that is going on in the story line! I sit with my notebook and scratch notes the whole hour on color combinations I see that may make for interesting paintings. I made a quick palette of colors on Colourlovers.com after watching season one. Season Two is filled with rich saturated plums and burgundies - maybe it's the war, influencing everyone's mood for darker colors.
Here are some of my favorite and most promising combinations:
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| Thomas's olive green uniform while talking to Mrs. O'Brien next to a brick wall. |
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| pale aqua and linen - in Lady Cora's dressing room |
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| The lichen and moss covered slate roof near the hospital |
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| Sybil's grey nurses uniform with the red cross on the sleeve |
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| Violet and her wonderful Plum and purple gowns and hats sitting outside in the lush green garden |
My latest piece - still unfinished and untitled - is influenced by colors I saw while watching Downton Abbey
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| Unfinished and untitled... 24"x24"x2"
acrylic and mixed media on wood panel
This isn't the first time that I have been inspired by color-usage in film. Years ago I was blown away by the use of color in the movie Nanny McPhee and again in the sequel, Nanny McPhee returns and also in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I gave my children and nieces and nephews the challenge to choose a color in the opening scene to follow throughout the entire film and watch how it is used. I promised them that who ever wrote up a report about how for example, the aqua/sea glass green was used in Nanny McPhee throughout the movie would get a hand made sweater. I still have not received a report. So, I challenge you to watch any one of these movies and carefully track a color throughout the movie and report back to me. I think the purple in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium symbolizes grace for example - but maybe I'm just being 'artsy-fartsy". There will be a Jane Moore Houghton print in it for the first person who hands in their homework to me. Get to work!
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Jane, I can understand totally about taking notes while watching movies. I've done the same, much to my husband's frustration.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite movies that I watch just for the colours and atmosphere captured by the use of colour tones and lighting are: Nanny McPhee, all of Tim Burton's, Enchanted April, Chocolat, oh and the one about the 3 children who's father dies and they have to go live with their wicked uncle. (sorry the title will come to me)
I'm going to check out if we can get Downtown Abbey. Bye.
Carole - glad to hear I'm not alone :-) Is it "A Series of Unfortunate Events" ? All the movies you mentioned are brilliant as well! I researched the three I mentioned and noticed that they all shared the same person in the art direction department...which I should mention here but I cannot remember right now. Will have to check into that because I have often thought I wanted to write to them and tell this person how very brilliant I think they are and deserve an award...or at least a thank you.
ReplyDeleteYes! that's the one! Thank you I still couldn't think of it.
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